What else can you put in a quesadilla?

One of the great things about a quesadilla is that you can put whatever you like into it. For this specific vegetarian spinach quesadilla, you could try adding a source of protein like grilled or oven baked chicken.

Can you make quesadillas ahead of time?

Yes. You could assemble them ahead of time and store them flat on top of each other so that the filling doesn't fall out. You could also just prepare all of the parts before and assemble when cooking.

Spinach Pesto and Cheddar Quesadillas

Name: Spinach Pesto and Cheddar Quesadillas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 small clove garlic, peeled; 2 cups baby spinach (about 2 to 2.5 ounces); 3 tablespoons sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or pine nuts; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons grated hard aged Parmesan-style cheese; 2 tablespoons water; ¼ teaspoon salt; 4 cups baby spinach (4 to 5 ounces); 2 tablespoons water; 4 large (10-inch) whole-wheat or gluten-free tortillas; 1 ½ cups (6 oz) shredded cheddar cheese; 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Description

These vegetarian Spinach Pesto and Cheddar Quesadillas are ready in only 20 minutes, for a super fast and kid-friendly dinner.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Spinach Pesto

1 small clove garlic, peeled
2 cups baby spinach (about 2 to 2.5 ounces)
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or pine nuts
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated hard aged Parmesan-style cheese
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt

Quesadillas

4 cups baby spinach (4 to 5 ounces)
2 tablespoons water
4 large (10-inch) whole-wheat or gluten-free tortillas
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

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Instructions

Make Pesto: Fit food processor with steel blade attachment. Start motor, and drop garlic through the feed tube. Process until the garlic is chopped (it’s okay if it stick to the sides.) Remove lid. Add 2 cups spinach, nuts, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, Parmesan-style cheese, 2 tablespoons water and salt. Process until pureed, about 10 seconds. Scrape sides and process until smooth, about 20 seconds.
Make Quesadillas: Combine 4 cups spinach and 2 tablespoons water in a large microwave safe bowl or measuring cup. Cover and microwave until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes on high. Carefully remove cover and drain the spinach.
Lay tortillas on work surface. Spread pesto over half of each tortillas, dividing evenly among the four. Top the pesto with spinach, dividing among the tortillas. Top the spinach with cheddar. Fold tortillas in half.
Brush 1 teaspoon oil over a griddle. Set quesadillas on the griddle and set over medium heat. Cook until the bottoms are browned and crisped, 4 to 7 minutes. Flip the quesadillas and continue cooking until the other side is browned and the cheddar cheese is melted. Alternatively, to cook in a large skillet: oil a large skillet, add two quesadillas and set over medium-high heat. Cook until the bottom is browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until the other side is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce temperature to medium-low and repeat with the remaining two quesadillas, cooking them until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Cut into wedges to serve.

Notes

Cheese Tip:

The best cheese for a quesadilla is cheddar cheese. I also recommend grating it yourself, rather than buying pre-grated cheese. This makes for the best meltability!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: entree
Method: stove top
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 quesadilla
Calories: 441
Fat: 31 g
Saturated Fat: 12 g
Carbohydrates: 28 g
Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 17 g
Cholesterol: 46