Veggie Quesadilla Recipe

Quesadillas! A crisp stuffed tortilla! Juicy and delicious.

This is my vegetarian version with options to make a chicken quesadilla and a DIY quesadilla seasoning.

Make a huge batch as you can freeze these up. Serve with guacamole and salsa as a dipping sauce. Next time I will pair it with Homemade Russian Dressing, Silken Tofu Creamy Ranch Dressing or even with Spicy Tomato Jam Recipe.

Quesadillas can be made with meat and as a vegetarian version.  I have cooked my vegetables and seasoned them with homemade quesadilla seasoning.

Planning chicken quesadilla?  You will need to season and cook or grill your chicken before you cook it with diced vegetables. Whatever stuffing you wish to use.  Your vegetarian or chicken/ meat quesadilla is ready in a jiffy.

Contents:

• Veggie Quesadilla Recipe and me
• Why MSK Veggie Quesadilla Recipe
• A little about Quesadillas
• How to make Quesadillas
• For Your Questions
• Make-ahead Recipes we love
• Recipe card
• Pin for later

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Why MSK Veggie Quesadilla Recipe

Make this recipe as Quesadilla Recipe as it is

• As usual simple and delicious, no irresistible
• You can make a Quesadilla using vegetables or any meat!
• Plus you have one delicious spice mix a Mexican one that works on both vegetarian and meat dishes
• Double, triple or halve the recipe easily

A little about Quesadillas

Quesadillas are of Mexican origin in the 16th century. Traditionally quesadillas used corn tortillas. They were filled with cheese, meat and vegetables and warmed on a griddle.

Now, this cheese-dude( that is what quesadilla translates to) is topped with salsa, guacamole and sour cream. In the USA, breakfast quesadillas are quite popular. They are scrambled eggs are the filling. Then you can have them as a dessert with chocolate, Nutella, butterscotch, caramel, condensed milk and fruits as fillings.

What I mean is fill yours up with veggies, chicken, beef or pork and cheese that melts easily.

Quesadillas and nachos are popular street food in Mexico. Perfect for out theme this month for Shhh Secretly Cooking this month. Our hostess is Preethi from Preethi's Cuisines and she wanted us to explore World Street food. Preethi is a busy working Mom and her recipes are easy and delicious just like her Pepper and Dates Relish here.

My partner here is Renu from Cook with Renu. Her Air Fryer Roasted Veggies are delicious. I have vanilla and cinnamon as her secret ingredients. She has made churros I am drooling over the pics here.

Renu gave me tomato paste and paprika as my secret ingredients.

How to make Quesadillas

These are the ingredients you will need. For quantities please check the recipe card.

• Tortillas
• Cheese
• Filling of your choice

Quesadilla Spice mix:

• Onion powder
• Dried oregano
• Salt
• Cumin powder
• Paprika
• Black pepper
• Cayenne pepper

The Vegetable Filling:

• Oil 
• Onion
• Garlic 
• Capsicum
• Coriander leaves
• Corn  kernels (frozen-thawed)
• Green peas (frozen-thawed)
• Spinach
• Tomato  paste

Method:

Quesadilla Spice mix:

• Mix ingredients in a small bowl to Use in the filling.

Let’s get the vegetable filling ready next:

• Heat the oil in a thick skillet and saute over high heat onion and garlic for 2 minutes.
• Add and cook the capsicum for 1 minute.
• Add corn, green peas, spinach, coriander leaves, tomato paste and spice Mix and cook for 2 minutes. 
• Transfer to a bowl and cool.

To make quesadillas:

• Place the tortilla on a flat surface.
• On one side sprinkle a bit of cheese and add the filling 1 portion.
• Top with cheese and fold in half.
• Grease with 2 teaspoon of oil and Pre-heat a tawa/skillet. In case you are using a nonstick one do not grease it.
• Press the quesadilla on the skillet and cover it with a lid.
• Cook for 3 minutes on low flame or the until the side on the skillet is crisp and golden brown.
• Flip over for that use the folded edge as the base for this.
• Press down lightly. Cook uncovered for 3 minutes or until crisp.
• Transfer to a cutting board and cut in half.
• Serve immediately with a dipping sauce.

Substitutes:

• Since I am not a great fan of beans I use corn. You can use beans, baked beans are great then avoid tomatoes.
• Use corn tortillas in place of whole wheat ones.
• I prefer Amul processed cheese. It is easily available but I have mixed it with mozzarella as the latter melts. You can use a sharp cheddar.
• I used vegetables but you can always soya mince. Boiled and squeezed out stir fry with the vegetable filling for better taste.
• You can use chicken breast, mince, pork or beef for your filling.” The juicier the cut, the better.” is what Nagi of Recipetineats says.

Variations:

• Since I am not a great fan of beans I use corn. You can use beans, baked beans are great only I will avoid tomatoes.
• Use spinach,  mushrooms, green onions, olives and feta.
• How about using your leftovers in making a filling?

Equipment:

You will need

• Bowls
• Grater
• Knife and board
• Wok
• Skillet
• Spoons and ladles

How to serve:

• Quesadilla tastes the best hot! Serve it with a sauce of your choice as a dipping sauce.
• How about some Russian dressing, chipotle sauce or ranch dressing? I will love it with guacamole and tomato salsa.

How to store:

• To freeze, quesadillas cling wrap the assembled quesadillas before cooking. Transfer to ziplock bags or airtight containers.
• To serve thaw in the microwave then cook per recipe.

For Your Questions

Protips:

• You can make 6 well-stuffed quesadillas. 8 with lesser stuffing.
• For crisp quesadillas cool the filling.
• The best trick is to use lesser vegetable filling 2-3 tablespoons per tortilla.
• My suggestion is to make a filling beforehand.
• Use a good melting cheese like mozzarella. I used it mixed with processed cheese and happy cow cheese too.
• Flip the tortilla only once using the folded edge as the base.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• How to make quesadillas that are easy to handle?

  

  The best trick is to use lesser vegetable filling 2-3 tablespoons per tortilla. Using cooled filling will give you crisp quesadillas. Use a good melting cheese like mozzarella. I used it mixed with processed cheese and happy cow cheese too.
  
  Flip the tortilla only once using the folded edge as the base.

• Should I use oil/butter to fry the quesadilla?

  

  In case you are using an iron skillet use a little, say ½-1 teaspoon of oil or butter while cooking. In the case of a non-stick pan do not use any oil. Using too much oil will make the quesadillas soggy.

• Can you make a quesadilla without cheese?

  

  A quesadilla without cheese is called an empanada. 

Some Make-Ahead Recipes we love

Summary:

To summarise Quesadillas are delicious and versatile. Perfect as a healthy street food where you can make the filling and store it. Takes the pressure off the busy weekday meals and kids are happy too.

Recipe card

Nutritional Disclaimer: I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. Please check with your nutritionist for your dietary needs and restrictions. Ultimately you are responsible for your decisions.

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