Easy Ground Beef Quesadillas

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Ground Beef Quesadillas with Nachos

 

Welcome! In this post, I am sharing an easy beginner-friendly quesadilla recipe using ground beef and lots of veggies.  

Why should you make quesadillas at home?  

  • Save Money - Preparing your own quesadillas is a great way to recreate a restaurant-style dish at home for a fraction of the cost.
  • Reduce Fat - You can choose the fat content of your meat, cheese, and sour cream.  You can experiment with different tortillas.  You can add a ton of veggie to your meal!
  • Reduce Calories - Most restaurant portions are quite big, and sometimes it isn't possible to refrigerate leftovers.   Cooking at home allows for better portion control.  


 Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. cooked ground beef
  • Shredded low fat cheddar cheese
  • Jalapenos
  • Sliced black olives
  • Diced onion
  • 8 Fajita size tortillas (6-inch)
  • EVOO
  • Shredded lettuce
Notes: 
  • 1 lb. of ground beef (uncooked) typically yields 2 cups of meat once cooked.  Leaner meats tend to yield more cooked meat because of the lower fat content whereas the fattier meats, once the fat has been drained, tend to yield smaller amounts of meat.  So you may end up being able to make more than 8 quesadillas. 
  • If you have extra meat, you can make extra quesadillas,  Easy Ground Beef Tacos, or warm up a can of beans and make Grilled Beef and Bean Burritos.




Instructions:
  • Microwave the tortillas for 10 seconds or until pliable.
  • Place 1/4 cup of cooked ground beef on each tortilla.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of cheese.
  • Add veggies (except for the lettuce).
  • Fold the tortilla over.
  • If you are going to cook these in the oven, gently brush both sides of the tortilla with EVOO.

Note:
If you have larger tortillas, you can still make this recipe but you won't be able to make as many quesadillas.  
When I have the larger tortillas (burrito-size), I like to place one tortilla on the bottom - then add the meat, cheese, and veggies - and then place a second tortilla top of the filling.



The end result is this:



Cooking Instructions:

Option 1: The Oven (best for large batches)
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  
  • Place the quesadillas on a large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper to prevent sticking.
  • Bake for 7 minutes.
  • Flip quesadillas over and bake for an additional 7 minutes. 
  • Let the quesadillas cool down and then gently open one side to add lettuce if desired.

Option 2: The Skillet 
  • Preheat a lightly oiled skillet over Medium heat.
  • Place quesadillas in the skillet.  
  • Once the bottom side of the quesadilla is golden and crispy, carefully flip it over to cook the other side.
  • Let the quesadillas cool down and then gently open one side to add lettuce if desired.


    Enjoy! 

    Feel free to leave a question or comment!

    Did you make this recipe? What cooking method do you prefer - the oven or the skillet?  Do you like the smaller tortillas or the larger ones?


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