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.
I’m sure today you’ve had your fill of turkey. If you’re like me you don’t want to see another turkey, much less eat it, for months (probably until next Thanksgiving!). But like me you more than likely have lots of leftover turkey. Okay, maybe you’d like to repeat last night’s Thanksgiving dinner just one more time, but I’m sure by the weekend you’ll desperately trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the turkey.
Don’t toss it! Sure you can make turkey sandwiches, and soups, but here’s a way to turn that leftover Thanksgiving turkey into something that doesn’t even remind you of the meal you stuffed yourself with on Thanksgiving. I make this yummy Turkey Enchilada Bake. It’s delicious and keto friendly too, just in case you’ve decided to start that Keto Diet after the holiday. In fact you’ll love it so much you’ll probably make it through out the year without using leftover turkey!
This recipe uses my homemade Enchilada Sauce, so if you don’t already have some in the fridge you can make some now. It’s super easy to make and will take you less than half an hour. Believe me it’s worth it! Click here for my Enchilada Sauce recipe.
Turkey Enchilada Bake
Ingredients:
2 Cups shredded leftover Thanksgiving Turkey or freshly cooked turkey cut into strips
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Tbs Minced Garlic
1 Tbs Chili Powder
8 Flour or Low Carb Flour Tortillas (use low carb for keto friendly dish)
I love Mexican food but Enchiladas were never one of my favorites. I tried to love it, but something about it just wasn’t working for me. It took me a while, but I finally realized what wasn’t working was the canned Enchilada Sauces I found at the grocery store.
Sure there are several brands out there, in fact it got quite confusing. But no matter which sauce I bought it simply didn’t taste good to me or for that matter the rest of the family didn’t find them that great either. They much preferred the Enchilada Sauce they would order from the Mexican restaurant. There aren’t that many really good Mexican restaurants in Honolulu so I had to find a way to make homemade Enchiladas just as good as the ones we found at the few restaurants we like. And since we didn’t care for the canned sauce then clearly the only option was homemade sauce.
So I started trying to figure out just how to make Enchilada Sauce and the first thing I learned is that there are not tomatoes in any way shape or form in Enchilada Sauce. I was surprised and so was everyone in the family! That’s right no tomatoes in Enchilada Sauce! Of course I’m talking about the RED Enchilada Sauce, I’ve yet to make the green variety. But I will and once I get it right I’ll share that too!
So what’s in Enchilada Sauce you ask? Chicken or Veggie Stock (the veggie stock is great if you want a vegan version), Roux, and spices. That’s it! And to make it even better it’s super easy to make, it takes less than half an hour! I make a pot of it and store the sauce in jars in the fridge. The longer it sits in the fridge the better the sauce tastes. So now my fridge is always stocked with homemade Enchilada Sauce along with my Marinara Sauce! I spend a morning once a month to re-stock, that way I’ll always have my favorite 2 sauces on hand.
You can use this Enchilada Sauce on anything you want. Pour it over your favorite meats and roll in tortillas for delicious enchiladas or use it in a casserole. I use it on my Keto friendly Chicken or Steak Enchiladas, they come out great. Whatever you use it on it will turn out delicious!
Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients:
4 Tbs. Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Chili Powder
1 Tbs. Garlic Powder
1 Tbs. Cumin Powder
1 Tbs. Dried Oregano
1 Quart Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Salt to taste
Directions:
Heat Olive Oil in a medium saucepan
Whisk in flour to make a blond roux, be careful not to burn the flour
Whisk in the spices except the salt
Slowly pour in the stock while whisking to blend the spices and roux in to it
Add salt to taste
Simmer for about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened
Use with your favorite meats or veggies or pour into jars and store in the fridge.
This recipe will make enough to fill 1 quart jar and almost 1 pint jar. If storing sauce pour into jars and cool before covering with a tight lid and placing in the fridge.
Whisk in flour to make a blond roux, be careful not to burn the flour
Whisk in the spices except the salt
Slowly pour in the stock while whisking to blend the spices and roux in to it
Add salt to taste
Simmer for about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened
Use with your favorite meats or veggies or pour into jars and store in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
This recipe will make about 5 pints. That's enough to fill 1 Quart size jar and almost 1 pint size jar. Cool before covering tightly and storing in the fridge.
South West or Tex Mex Egg Rolls are featured appetizers at many well known restaurant chains. It’s one of my favorites at Chili’s and Cheesecake Factory where I order them all every time we choose to dine at one of them. I know they’re considered appetizers but most of the time I order them as my main course, that way I get a whole plate of them to myself!
I’ve actually seen them frozen and ready to fry at several grocery stores. They’re marketed as the “original” Chili’s or Cheesecake Factory Egg Rolls. They also carry a hefty price tag which I’m not willing to pay for something I still have to fry!
But I can definitely make these yummy crunchy rolls of Tex Mex goodness at home. It’s super easy! I usually make a big batch and freeze some for later, they freeze very well.
Now there are 2 versions of this Egg Roll, one uses actual Egg Roll wrapper usually found at any Asian Market, and the other rolls the filling in flour tortillas. The former makes for a delicate crispy egg roll as the wrapper is a thin pastry just like the egg rolls you’ll find at most Asian restaurants. The latter has a different look and crunch as the tortilla is a much thicker wrapper. Either way they’re delicious!
I use the frozen grilled chicken strips to make my egg rolls, but you can make your one cooked chicken to use in this recipe. This recipe makes a large pot, whatever I don’t roll into egg rolls I make into bowls by serving it over a bowl of Mexican Rice and Refried Beans.
To freeze roll the filling in egg roll wrapper or tortillas and place in freezer bags. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
These egg rolls are delicious dipped in a Creamy Avocado Sauce or topped with Pico De Gallo. The recipe for the sauce is included at the bottom of the egg roll recipe.
South West Egg Rolls
Ingredients:
1 Tsp. Olive Oil
1 Pkg. Frozen Grilled Chicken Strips, thawed and diced
1/2 Onion, diced
2 Tbs. Minced Garlic
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 Tomato, diced and patted dry with paper towel.
1 Can Black Beans, drained
1 Can Corn Kernels, drained
1 – 2 Tbs. Cumin, adjust to taste
1 – 2 Tbs. Chili Powder, adjust to taste
1 Tbs. Salt
1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar/Jack Cheese
1 Pkg. Frozen Egg Roll Wrappers or 8″ Flour Tortillas
Oil for frying
Directions:
Heat Olive Oil in large pan.
Saute onions about 1 minute or until they start to turn translucent.
Add garlic and continue to saute.
Add peppers and cook until peppers start to get a bit soft.
Add Chicken, beans, and corn.
Add in Cumin, Chili Powder, and Salt. Mix until well combined.
Add Tomatoes and cook until any liquid in the pan starts to thicken.
Add Cilantro and cook until it starts to wilt.
Remove from heat and stir in cheese until it melts.
Set aside and prepare your wrappers.
Place a heaping tablespoon in the center of your wrapper and spread into a line across.
Roll the filling in the wrapper burrito style.
Heat about 2″ of oil in a frying pan or use a deep fryer if you have one.
Fry rolls in oil until golden brown.
Cut each roll in half diagonally and serve hot with Avocado Dipping Sauce.
Creamy Avocado Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
1 Cup Whipped Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro finely chopped
1 Ripe Avocado mashed
1/2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 Tsp. Chili Powder
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve.
As many of you know I absolutely love Mexican food and am always on the lookout for restaurants that serve authentic Mexican cuisine. That’s not easy to find where I live in Hawaii. Although a few places have popped up that meet our family’s expectations most of the time I end up making our favorite Mexican dishes at home.
A family favorite is Carne Asada, typical for a family of carnivores I guess. In restaurants it’s sometimes used as the filling for burritos and enchiladas, or a topping for nachos; and it mostly appears on the mean as steak.
Since it’s a favorite of ours I always make it and use it to fill tacos, burritos, and my all time favorites Chimichangas and Flautas which are really just fried versions of burritos and taquitos.
I use flank or skirt steak to make my Carne Asada, and in a pinch flap meat works well too. Those cuts of meat aren’t the most tender but marinating it overnight makes it not only tender but tasty as well. I usually make a big batch of Carne Asada and freeze some to use later. I pan fry the meat and freeze half. It heats up really well.
You can also grill the Flank Steak instead of pan frying it, but to grill it don’t cut up the meat before marination. Marinate the whole slab, grill it, then cut it up to fill your tacos, burritos, or whatever.
So here’s the recipe!
Carne Asada
Marinade Ingredients:
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
3 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 Tbs. Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro roughly chopped
2 Tsp. Chili Powder
1 Tsp. Ground Cumin
1 Tsp. Ground Oregano
2 Lbs. Flank or Skirt Steak – cut into 1/2″ strips or if you are grilling don’t cut it up marinate the whole slab
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients except the meat in a bowl.
Place meat in a large ziplock bag and pour marinade over it.
Close bag and knead the meat to distribute the marinade evenly.
Refrigerate overnight.
When you’re ready to cook it heat 1 Tbs. Olive Oil in skillet.
Place the meat into hot oil and pan fry to desired doneness.
Discard the marinade.
When meat is cooked use it to make nachos or fill your tortillas, taco shells or bowls, depending on what you are making.
Serve with garnishes such as pico de gallo, sour cream, shredded cheese, guacamole, fresh diced tomatos, lettuce, salsa, etc.
