With two little boys to look after, I always face a time crunch to prepare an elaborate dinner for my family. Luckily they are always ready to help me out. They love to do the simple prep work, set the table while I cook and even help me serve the dinner every so often – aren’t they sweet? Such sweethearts do deserve some rewards at times and what could be better than present them with their favorite dish for dinner. They go crazy for quesadillas and can have it during any time of the day. And being a cinch to make, I’m not complaining either!
While you only need some tortillas and cheese for quesadillas to make an adult happy, a kid-friendly version calls for healthier and hearty ingredients. Assorted veggies are the best option when you are planning to boost its nutritional quotient and throw in few chopped chicken or ham for more meaty pleasures. However, I make sure to chop up the veggies finely since my boys find them a tad less intimidating and eat them without a throwing a tantrum. And don’t miss out the cheese; after all it’s the sight of the gooey melted cheese oozing out from the quesadillas which appeals to the kids most! These quesadillas are so delicious that it is bound to please kids and adults alike. So make it for next dinner and watch your family’s face lit up with glee.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
• 8 flour tortillas
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• ¾ cup zucchini, finely chopped
• ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup red bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped • 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter, softened
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
Method:
• Warm up your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Slather one side of every tortilla with a knob of butter and save them for later.
• Drizzle a lashing of oil in a large skillet and heat it over moderately high heat until it shimmers.
• Throw in the chopped onion as well as garlic and sauté them for a couple of minutes, while stirring often, until they soften slightly.
• Stir in the rest of the veggies and sprinkle a dash each of seasonings over them to taste.
• Continue to sauté the mixture for several minutes while stirring at times.
• Mist a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange 4 tortilla on it with the buttered side facing down.
• Top each tortilla with ¼ cup shredded cheese and spoon equal amount of veggie mixture over it.
• Sprinkle rest of the cheese over the filling and place rest of the tortillas on top with the buttered side facing up.
• Pop the baking sheet in the hot oven and bake for 7-9 minutes or until the tortilla turn gorgeous golden and the cheese melts completely.
• Slice the tortillas into wedges and serve right away.
This article is a kind contribution by Marianna Kottnauer, founder, HappyLabel.cz