In our family we all love quesadillas. My grandkids would eat it everyday! I mean what’s not to love? It’s crunchy on the outside and gooey cheese on the inside. Not to mention you can garnish it with guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, cheese, sour cream, or whatever your heart desires.
But have you ever tried making quesadillas for the entire family? I know it’s pretty easy, just like making a grilled cheese sandwich. But even grilled cheese sandwiches take time to make and someone, usually me, always ends up eating last. So if you’re aiming for a family meal together grilled cheese sandwiches and individual quesadillas are probably not the way to go.
That’s why I love Baking Sheet Quesadillas. It’s easy, delicious, can be put together in advance, and best of all the whole family can share the meal together!
Really you can stuff this quesadilla with just about anything you want then pop it in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes and you’re done. But one of my favorite stuffing is taco meat and cheese, you can’t go wrong with that combination!
I usually make my taco filling without packaged taco seasoning, but you can definitely use a packet when making yours. I use ground beef, but it can be made with ground turkey or chicken or ground impossible meat for a plant based option.
Here’s my recipe, feel free to adapt it to your tastes! By the way you will need 2 baking sheets each about 1″ deep with sides to make this recipe. I use 11×9 baking sheets because I bake it in my Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer, but you can use a larger sheet and bake it in your regular oven.
Add Ground meat and cook until it starts to brown.
Add powdered spices and mix well.
Cook until meat is crumbly.
Stir in 1/2 of the chopped cilantro.
Set aside.
Spray 1 baking sheet with cooking spray
Arrange 1 layer of tortillas on the sheet – they must over lap and half of each tortilla must hang over the sides of the sheet. Place tortillas in the middle so that the bottom of the sheet is completely covered.
Evenly spread taco meat over the tortilla layer.
Sprinkle shredded cheese over meat.
Spread salsa over all.
Fold the hanging portions of tortillas over the filling using more tortillas to cover the middle. Make sure there are no gaps or holes on the top.
Place second baking sheet over the tortillas with the bottom of the pan directly on top of the folded tortillas.
Bake in a pre-heated 425° oven for 20-30 minutes or until the tortillas are brown and crispy. Do not burn.
Remove from oven and cut into squares.
Serve hot with toppings so everyone can top it with their favorites.
Toppings: CilantroSour Cream, Guacamole, Salsa, Shredded Cheese, etc. (all optional)
Servings:
Instructions
Heat Olive Oil in a skillet.
Add Ground meat and cook until it starts to brown.
Add powdered spices and mix well.
Cook until meat is crumbly.
Stir in 1/2 of the chopped cilantro.
Set aside.
Spray 1 baking sheet with cooking spray
Arrange 1 layer of tortillas on the sheet - they must over lap and half of each tortilla must hang over the sides of the sheet. Place tortillas in the middle so that the bottom of the sheet is completely covered.
Evenly spread taco meat over the tortilla layer.
Sprinkle shredded cheese over meat.
Spread salsa over all.
Fold the hanging portions of tortillas over the filling using more tortillas to cover the middle. Make sure there are no gaps or holes on the top.
Place second baking sheet over the tortillas with the bottom of the pan directly on top of the folded tortillas.
Bake in a pre-heated 425° oven for 20-30 minutes or until the tortillas are brown and crispy. Do not burn.
Remove from oven and cut into squares.
Serve hot with toppings so everyone can top it with their favorites.
To eat less meat, stretch a small amount creatively. This recipe from F&W’s Justin Chapple calls for pounding beef tenderloin fillets thin and grilling them superquickly, so they stay tender and juicy.
1 (1-lb.) package frozen fries
12 oz. flank steak, sliced into 5″ sections
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
Kosher salt
FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole milk
2 c. shredded cheddar
Kosher salt
FOR SERVING
2 avocados
1 1/2 tbsp. lime juice
Kosher salt
1 medium tomato, diced
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1/4 c. sour cream
DIRECTIONS:
1. Make the seasoning mix: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Make fries and steak: Preheat oven to 425°. On a large baking sheet, bake french fries in a single layer according to package instructions. Season with salt to taste immediately after they’re baked.
3. Meanwhile, rub steak with vegetable oil and season with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and 1 tablespoon seasoning mix. Heat a medium cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook, flipping once, until a deep golden crust forms on both sides of the steak, about 5 minutes total. Let meat rest 10 minutes before slicing into 1” cubes.
4. Make cheese sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and cook until just golden, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add milk and bring to a simmer, then whisk in cheese and let thicken, 3 to 5 minutes more.
5. Assemble: In a small bow, mash avocados with lime juice and 1 teaspoon seasoning mix, and season with salt. Top fries with cheese sauce, sliced steak, mashed avocado, tomato, onion, and a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle on remaining seasoning mix and serve immediately.
A great combination of flavors. Serve with some mashed garlic red potatoes and sweetened green beans for a fabulous special occasion meal. Don’t forget to serve a bottle of Cabernet or Zinfandel.
Ingredients
Original recipe yields 4 servings
Directions
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving:
590 calories; protein 35.3g; carbohydrates 13.4g; fat 43.4g; cholesterol 124.5mg; sodium 689.4mg. Full Nutrition
Ground beef mixed with balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, onion and parsley creates a kicked-up meatloaf recipe that will be your family’s new go-to. The secret to moist meatloaf? A generous amount of meatloaf glaze brushed over the loaf before baking, of course! This soy-glazed meatloaf is doused in a delicious mixture of ketchup, brown sugar and— you guessed it— umami-rich soy sauce. Made from a fermented paste of soybeans and roasted grains, this Chinese condiment lends an earthy, salty taste to everything it touches.
Got allergies to soy? You’ve got options. Try gluten-free tamari, which is often made without wheat, and is thicker, darker, and milder in flavor. Coconut aminos, a slightly sweeter sauce made from coconut tree sap and salt, makes a great paleo-friendly pick.
CAL/SERV:275 YIELDS:6 servings PREP TIME: 0 hours 0 mins TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 5 mins
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 c. panko
1 small onion, coarsely grated
1/2 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 lb. ground beef chuck
Mixed green salad, for serving
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Directions:
Heat oven to 375°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. In bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar and 1 teaspoon soy sauce.
In large bowl, whisk together eggs, balsamic vinegar, remaining tablespoon soy sauce and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper; stir in panko and let sit 2 minutes. Add onion and parsley and mix to combine.
Add beef and mix just until incorporated. Transfer mixture to prepared baking sheet and shape into 9- by 3½-inch loaf.
Brush loaf with ketchup mixture. Bake until internal temp registers 150°F, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with salad if desired.
Nutritional Information (per serving): About 275 calories, 14.5 g fat (5.5 g saturated), 23.5 g protein, 430 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber
You won’t believe me until you try this recipe. I tried to create this recipe much easier to approach at home, without a huge traditional wok or using so much oil for deep fry!
The key for this recipe is cast iron wok/pan. You can also use any pan (non stick skillet or stainless skillet) you have too. It doesn’t have to be cast iron, but if you have one… just dust off and bring it out!
We will use minimum oil to shallow fry for the deep fry taste & texture. After the shallow frying, you can save and repurpose the leftover oil too, since it’s just a little bit.
It is amazing with steamed or fried rice. I like to enjoy with side steamed or stir fried veggies too. I have many different fried rice & veggie recipes you can serve with Beijing beef, so check it out down below!
Are we ready to start the recipe?! I’m already so hungry!
Let’s jump into it!
First, slice your beef thinly abut 1/8 inch and bite size. You don’t have to use expensive steak for this recipe, because we will cook the beef long enough to make it super crispy and tender. I recommend you to use beef chuk, tri-tip or flank steak.
Combine the sliced beef, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp shaoxing wine (or dry sherry. If you don’t want to consume alcohol, just omit) and pinch of black pepper in a mixing bowl. Marinate while preparing other ingredients.
Chop 5 to 7 cloves garlic. Dice 1/4 of medium size onion and 1/4 of red bell pepper. You can use any onions- I used yellow onion.
You won’t believe how simple is the sauce. Combine 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp vinegar, 2 tbsp ketchup, 2 tbsp sugar and 2 to 3 tsp sambal in a mixing bowl. This is is the BOMB! Super simple and so delicious!! Set aside.
Preheat 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup frying oil to 350°F. (If you are using cast iron wok/pan, just heat them over medium heat) We will do shallow fry, which is in-between deep frying & pan frying. More oil than pan frying but whole lot less than deep frying.
If you ware using wide skillet, less oil you will need.
Dust marinated beef with 1/2 cup of potato or corn starch evenly. You could coat them evenly one by one, but I’m hurry to cook & eat this Beijing beef so I just dumped the starch and mixed with my hand.
Check if the oil is preheated to 350°F by stick the end of a wooden chopstick or spoon into oil. If the oil starts steadily bubbling, then the oil is hot enough for frying.
add beef into frying oil one by one. Fry beef 6 to 7 minutes or until brown and crispy. You need to cook them well, almost the point that you are worry about if this is becoming a jerky. lol No worries, it won’t turn out to jerky though.
Remove beef from frying oil and place on a baking pan lined with cooling rack. Do batches as needed. I did 3 batches.
Turn off heat. Remove most of the frying oil from wok, leave 2 tbsp oil for stir frying.
You can keep used oil for later use, for stir frying or make this recipe again!
urn on heat to medium if you are using cast iron wok/pan or high heat if it’s regular wok or skillet. Add garlic, onion and red bell pepper. Stir fry them for 1 minute then pour sauce mixture. Let sauce boil, for 30 seconds, then add fried beef. Toss everything together and it’s read to serve!
Serve with steamed rice (or fried rice), chow mein, steamed veggies and more!
Combine beef, soy sauce, shaoxing wine and black pepper in a mixing bowl and marinate while preparing other ingredients.
Combine all ingredients for sauce in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Preheat frying oil to 350°F in a cast iron wok or a large skillet. (If you are using cast iron wok/pan, just heat them over medium heat)
Dust marinated beef with starch evenly. Now, carefully add beef into frying oil one by one. Fry beef 6 to 7 minutes or until brown and crispy. Remove Remove beef from frying oil and place on a baking pan lined with cooling rack. Do batches as needed.
Turn off heat. Remove most of the frying oil from wok, leave 2 tbsp oil for stir frying. You can keep used oil for later use, for stir frying or make this recipe again!
Turn on heat to medium if you are using cast iron wok/pan or high heat if it’s regular wok or skillet. Add garlic, onion and red bell pepper. Stir fry them for 1 minute then pour sauce mixture. Let sauce boil, for 30 seconds, then add fried beef. Toss everything together and it’s read to serve! Serve with steamed rice (or fried rice), chow mein, steamed veggies and more! Enjoy!
