Quesadillas quick and easy
No matter how diligent you are about meal planning and prepping, you still have those nights when you’ve got to just throw something together and you need dinner to be both easy and quick.
Quesadillas have come to the rescue on these occasions more times than I can count. They’re a great vehicle for any kind of leftover or to use up those odds and ends in the fridge. Even better, each family member can customize the fillings to suit their preference (which means I can add all the spicy things to my heart’s content). Quesadillas are also a really simple meal that kids can put together to give the parents a night off from cooking.
While looking for inspiration for our most recent “in a pinch” quesadilla dinner, I started thinking about the idea of a quesadilla dipped in sauce, which led me to thinking about green and red, Christmas-style dishes from New Mexico that feature red and green chile sauces side by side on the same plate. The result was this little twist on the standard quesadilla, which was tastier than expected and something I can’t wait to make again.
You can use any homemade or store-bought green and red chile sauces you like. (Browse the shelves for enchilada sauce or salsa casera). I like the idea of doctoring up store-bought sauces with extra chili powder, garlic and spices. If you have the time, that would take this dish to the next level, but readymade sauces, straight from the can or bottle will be just fine.
The method of oven-baking the quesadillas in one big batch, as opposed to making them individually in a pan on the stove, works especially well here. The oven-baking method can produce drier quesadillas but the saucing disguises that problem beautifully. I had considered heating the sauces before dipping, but found that the heat from the quesadillas straight from the oven was enough to warm the sauces.
Red and Green Quesadillas
Serves 4
Ingredients
: 6-8 small flour tortillas (fajita size), 1 to 2 per person
: Grated cheese, about L cup per quesadilla
: Additional fillings of your choice (leftover meats or vegetables, drained of sauces and chopped
: 1 cup green enchilada sauce, canned or homemade
: 1 cup red enchilada sauce, canned or homemade
: Chopped cilantro, thinly sliced red onion, sour cream, sliced avocado, lime wedges Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly oil a sheet tray and set it aside.
2. Warm the tortillas in the microwave (or your favorite method) until pliable. Once
warmed, fill with cheese and toppings of your choice. Fold each filled tortilla in half and place on oiled sheet tray.
3. Bake for about five minutes, flip and bake another five minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are golden and crisp in places.
4. While the quesadillas are baking, pour the red and green enchilada sauces into two separate, shallow bowls and prepare any garnishes you will be using.
5. Cut each hot quesadilla in half and dip one piece in the green enchilada sauce and the other piece in red enchilada sauce, making sure to coat both sides. Serve immediately with garnishes.