Chicken, Peach & Cheese Quesadilla

After having peaches in a little raw-topping for a pork tenderloin I made last week, I was obsessed with peach in a quesadilla. Ob-sessed.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken, Peach & Cheese Quesadilla
Lots of cheese: colby jack, cheddar, and pepper jack + some ripe peaches/nectarines + chicken. Yes, please! This is the perfect catch-all if you have lots of small amounts of cheese around, or to use some leftover grilled chicken.

Ingredients: (for 1 large quesadilla, serves 2)

2 “burrito-sized” tortillas (or 4 fajita-sized tortillas)
2 chicken tenders, marinated and grilled (or pan-sautéed until cooked through)
1 peach/nectarine, diced
8 oz cheese: 1/2 colby jack; 1/2 sharp cheddar
2 oz pepper jack cheese (1-2 slices, or 1/2 cup shredded or sliced)
1 slice red onion, diced
salsa on the side

Directions:

Pre-cook or grill the chicken.
In a large skillet (big enough to fit the tortillas) or on a griddle pan, spray with non-stick spray and bring to medium heat.
Lay a tortilla down and top with colby jack cheese, sharp cheddar, shredded chicken, nectarine, and onion.
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken, Peach & Cheese Quesadilla
Top with pepper jack cheese, and 2nd tortilla.
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken, Peach & Cheese Quesadilla
Cook for 2-5 minutes until bottom tortilla is crisping and solid. Spray the top quesadilla with non-stick spray and very carefully/swiftly/in one motion, flip the quesadilla over.
Cook for another 2-5 minutes until crisp and gently browned.
Cut in half, serve with a side of salsa. Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken, Peach & Cheese Quesadilla
This was so good with the juicy chicken, all the cheeses, and sweet nectarines. I looved the little bit of crunchy red onion in there for some balance. I don’t tend to go very spicy but you could totally up the pepper jack cheese quantity in there!

This was such a quick dinner and I loved that it wasn’t a run of the mill quesadilla. Thanks to the peach.

Throwback Snack: Dunkaroo Dip

I was a bit delayed on Mr. J’s August snack of the month. August’s theme was #throwback so I recreated Dunkaroos! I don’t remember ever seeing them at my house growing up. Essentially it was a cookie dipped into frosting so I doubt they are worse than another cookie with frosting but alas, they are no more…except for Pinterest. It is very addicting. The cake mix makes it.

Dunkaroo Dip - The Three Bite Rule

Ingredients:

1/2 box funfetti cake mix
1 cup Greek vanilla yogurt
2 cups cool whip

Directions:

Mix together the funfetti, yogurt, and cool whip.
Dunkaroo Dip - The Three Bite Rule
Mix and serve with animal crackers for dipping.
Dunkaroo Dip - The Three Bite Rule
Add a few more sprinkles serve and enjoy!

I served these as single dipper portions…much like the 90s treat? Why, yes! I gave Mr. J I Owe Yous with themes for his birthday to get a year of Snacks/Treats.

June: hot & cold (Ice cream topping basket)
July: shareable (loaded waffle fries)
Aug: throwback (this Dunkaroo dip!)
Sept: sweet
Oct: homemade
Nov: chewy
Dec: craveworthy
Jan: minty
Feb: crunchy
Mar: dip-able
April: traditional
May: fresh

Shrimp Scampi Flatbreads

I was home to make lunch and was thinking about Shrimp Scampi but it seemed a bit much for lunch so I made it into a flatbread with a scampi-like sauce. I loved it and it was the perfect fit for a surprisingly quick lunch with the flavors without messing with dough or even boiling water. Cooking the shrimp and making the sauce in that same pan makes for a lot of flavor and was just so easy.

The Three Bite Rule - Shrimp Scampi Flatbread

Ingredients:

1 garlic naan
5-6 shrimp
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup clam juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic
cracked black pepper & salt
1 teaspoon chopped chives
~2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon thyme

Directions:

Toast the flatbread.
In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cook and flip once and cook for a few minutes per side.
The Three Bite Rule - Shrimp Scampi Flatbread
Remove the shrimp and add in the clam juice, lemon juice, mustard, & garlic.
The Three Bite Rule - Shrimp Scampi Flatbread
Whisk and bring to a low simmer. Add in more black pepper and chives.
The Three Bite Rule - Shrimp Scampi Flatbread
Spread the sauce onto the naan and top with Parmesan and shrimp.
The Three Bite Rule - Shrimp Scampi Flatbread
Sprinkle with the thyme and return to the oven for another few minutes.
The Three Bite Rule - Shrimp Scampi Flatbread
The sauce was veryyy flavorful. The clam juice, lemon juice, dijon, and garlic are fo-real. For pasta I’d probably save a bit of the starchy water to thin it out a little. I was so glad I made this one & got the flavor I was thinking about. It was easy to make a single serving and was a great reminder how quickly some classic flavors can take shape.

Spinach Squares

I mixed up these spinach squares last weekend thinking they’d be a good thing to pack for the little one’s lunch. Thennn I also munched it for my quest for savory breakfasts. I also was reminded that my mom makes this as an appetizer…such a multi-functional food! There are so few ingredients and I liked that they weren’t so eggy that it seems like square quiche. The trick making them so good is quality cheese and is that they get baked in a butter bath.

The Three Bite Rule - Spinach Squares
The little one liked it a few times, but seemed to tire of them. That’s a trend for him: a few meals something is good, then he kind of passes on it. If we give it a break, it is all good awhile later. I’ll probably pop some into the freezer.

Ingredients:

3 tbs butter
3 eggs
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 package frozen chopped spinach, drained and squeezed well
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
optional: 1 small onion & 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
In a 13×9 baking pan, melt the butter by putting both into the preheating oven.
In a mixing bowl (I used my stand mixer), add in the eggs, cheese, spinach, milk, flour, baking powder, and salt.
The Three Bite Rule - Spinach Squares

Stir well to combine.
Pour into the buttery baking pan.
The Three Bite Rule - Spinach Squares
Bake 30 minutes.
Let cool, slice and enjoy at room temperature or warm!

The Three Bite Rule - Spinach Squares

I used more butter but thought maybe there was a bit too much (gasp!) it pooled a bit one mine so next time I’d use 3 tbs (as suggested above). I love these! My mom’s are a bit thicker and more fluffy…mine seemed a touch dense but I still liked them! Use the good cheese…these have so few ingredients they’re worth it!

Easter Carrot Shaped Cheese Ball

This cheese ball has been awaiting the blog debut for. a. year. I made this last year for Easter and thought it was just so adorable. It takes 10 minutes to mix together and 5 minutes to look cute. Voila! Serve with some wheat thins and some carrots for the best of both worlds! I don’t make too many super theme-y foods for aesthetics but this one tastes so food as proof it isn’t just about looks! This carrot shaped cheeseball goes with your Easter brunchy foods, your Easter lunch spread, or an Easter dinner.

The Three Bite Rule - Carrot Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

8oz package cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
2 tbs Parmesan cheese
1 tbs garlic, minced
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 1/2 cup orange cheddar, chopped
1/2 bunch parsley
1 cup green onion, chopped
carrots
crackers (strong enough for cheese dipping)

Directions:

With a hand or stand mixer, mix together cream cheese, sundried tomatoes, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and rosemary.
The Three Bite Rule - Carrot Cheese Ball
Add in green onion (I originally had less sundried tomato and thought it needed more). Then mix well.
The Three Bite Rule - Carrot Cheese Ball
Refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.
The Three Bite Rule - Carrot Cheese Ball
Before serving, form into a carrot shape on a plate. Press cheddar around the outside and wipe away any from the plate.
Position the parsley under the top.
The Three Bite Rule - Carrot Cheese Ball
Serve with carrots and crackers. Enjoy!

This was so good and just so darn cute. I loved how easy it was to mix quickly, let the flavors combine, and then just a quick assembly before eating. Choose the crackers appropriately…ritz will crumble under the pressure.

There are some easy alternatives depending on what cheese ball flavors you fancy…caramelized onions & roasted red peppers; bacon and ranch mix; basil and garlic; jalepeno; or whatver combos you love. Go forth! Make a cutesy cheese ball!