Club Quesadillas

(This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer Ad Week of 5/13/12 - 5/19/12)

I love warm weather, so I resist cranking on the A/C as long as we can handle it...which means that I'm always on the look-out for meals that don't heat up the kitchen.  This main dish sandwich is perfect for those warm spring and summer evenings.  It's cool and refreshing, and comes together quickly...so you won't spend a lot of time in the kitchen after a long, hard day at the beach or pool.

Ingredients:

Quesadillas:
8 flour tortillas
1/2 C mayonnaise
4-6 large lettuce leaves
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
8 large or 16 small slices deli turkey
8 large or 16 small slices deli ham
1 - 8oz pkg sliced provolone cheese
8 bacon strips, cooked, cooled, and cut into thirds
Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 cup salsa

Directions:
Prepare the dipping sauce by mixing ranch dressing and salsa.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Spread mayonnaise evenly on all 8 tortillas.  On 4 tortillas, arrange and layer the lettuce, tomatoes, turkey, ham, cheese, and bacon in order given.  Place remaining 4 tortillas (with mayonnaise side down) on top.  Cut into quarters and serve with dipping sauce.

Options and Tips

• We really like this combination of meats and cheese, but you could substitute deli beef, salami, or chicken for the ham and turkey, and substitute swiss, cheddar, colby jack, or pepper jack for the provolone.
• The number of slices of deli meat needed will vary, depending on if you get large slices from the deli or smaller, thinner slices in the package.  Just use enough so that there is a solid layer of each kind of meat, with not much space between pieces.

This recipe, in its original form, can be found on page 83 of Trinity PRC's "Tasteful Traditions" cookbook.  I made a few changes to the quantities and instructions, and the sauce "recipe" is my own.  This recipe was recommended to me last year by Sara Bleyenberg, who just won the Vidalia Chop Wizard Giveaway!