Easy Veggie Quesadillas with a Melted Mozzarella and Cheddar Combo (30 Min, Vegetarian)
- Updated on Feb 18, 2016
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I need no excuse to make veggie quesadillas. No excuse at all. But when I have one, it’s even better.
And the justification for these quesadillas is great – I need a way to show off this unbelievable red pesto!
It was a surprise hit last week, and we’ve been making it again and again – for pasta, on toast, as a dip – you name it, we’ve probably tried it.
And these quesadillas are a perfect way to show it off. They’re quick, they’re nutritious and they’re very, very tasty.
If you want to be super healthy you can take something like these gluten-free raw wraps, or you can make your own quickly and cheaply here.
They also gave us a chance to refine our quesadilla cooking skills, as we’d heard several great tips we wanted to try out.
Here are the results of our made-with-love cooking experiments.
How to cook the perfect veggie quesadillas
1. Prepare everything before you start so you can rock and roll without stop. Don’t forget to preheat the pan too!
2. Spread the base (in this case red pesto) over just half of the tortilla.
3. Layer the cheese in thin slices over the same half.
4. Next, layer the veggies on top of the cheese. Add another layer of cheese on top. This’ll hold everything in place as you cook and flip.
5. Fold the other half up and then on top of the pesto half. Your quesadilla is ready to cook! Don’t use oil. You don’t really need it and they’ll get nice and crispy this way.
Cook on a medium or low heat only. Quesadillas burn easily and you don’t want that. Use a large spatula to slide under the quesadilla when it’s time to flip.
And finally, place something weighted (like a heavy pot) on top as you cook. This squishes all the ingredients together so they don’t fall out as you flip. Done!
Follow these simple steps and you’ll be cooking up top class quesadillas in no time.
Oh, and if you still have any doubts about getting them just right, check out these 8 common mistakes when cooking quesadillas.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 small cherry tomatoes
- ½ onion
- ½ bell pepper, red (your fave colour)
- 1 cup spinach
- 2 tbsp red pesto (check the notes, if you want to make your own)
- 2.5 oz cheddar cheese
- 1 ball low fat mozzarella (1 ball = 4.5oz = 125g)
- 2 wholegrain tortillas (check the notes, if you want to make them homemade)
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes and pepper, peel the onions and cut them all into thin slices – the cheese too.4 small cherry tomatoes, ½ bell pepper, red, ½ onion
- Wash the spinach and let it drain in a sieve.1 cup spinach
- Grab a tortilla and spread a layer of pesto over half of it. A tablespoon works well.2 tbsp red pesto, 2 wholegrain tortillas
- Add a light layer of cheese on top and a quarter of the tomato, pepper and onion, followed by a few spinach leaves.2.5 oz cheddar cheese
- Top it with another layer of cheese.1 ball low fat mozzarella
- Then fold the other half of the tortilla on top and place in a large frying pan (nonstick).
- Heat for 2-3 minutes. Flip and heat for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese has melted – a good indicator is a little running out the side.
- Pro Tip: place a heavy pot on top of the quesadilla so that it flattens nicely and cooks more evenly – this will also stop the insides escaping! If you don’t like the thought of putting a pot directly on your quesadillas then put a plate between the two.
NOTES
Nutrition
Our nutritional information chart was made using low fat mozzarella and standard whole grain wraps. A serving is one quesadilla.
Comments
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15 comments
What else could you use other than pesto? My kids will not eat it…
Hi Janet, I’d just choose a sauce that they like! To be honest, it tastes great without sauce, too – though maybe a little sour cream or something spread on the top instead? 🙂
Made these today with green pesto since I couldn’t find red pesto in the grocery store. Came out super yummy. I’m pretty bad when it comes to eating vegis, but this recipe was easy and didn’t feel like i was eating any greens. Can’t wait to try more from your site!
That’s awesome Susan! So glad you enjoyed it. Yep, I often sub out green for red, depending on what I have to hand. I never used to be a massive veggie eater either…until I discovered how good you can make them taste :D. Thanks for writing, good to have you here!
These look so yummy! I need to try to make a vegan version of them. 🙂
Mmm, I love quesadillas! I had the awesome opportunity to live in Phoenix AZ (bordering Mexico) before I went plant-based, and that’s a cheese quesadilla lovers dream. I love your pro tip about preheating the pan, it makes a huge difference!
We love quesadillas in our home because its so quick and easy to prepare. Love your photos!