Ground Beef Quesadillas

There’s two parts to this recipe. The first part is to cook the beef with taco seasonings. The second is the assembly of the quesadillas themselves.

What’s nice about this recipe is that you can cook the beef ahead of time and make the quesadillas when you are ready. I often cook the beef on a weekend and make the quesadillas on a week night.

In terms of fillings, use your imagination.   Below is one suggestion.

What You’ll Need to Make Ground Beef Quesadillas

For the Beef:

Suggested toppings for the quesadillas:

How to Make Ground Beef Quesadillas

Cook the Beef:

To start, make the filling. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Next, add the ground beef. Turn up the heat on medium-high and break up the meat as it cooks. Make sure that the meat is completely brown before adding the seasoning. Add the seasoning and stir well. Next add a little water to moisten. Then put on the lid and turn the heat down to low. Allow the meat to cook further for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Assemble and Cook the Quesadillas

Here is one suggestion: red bell peppers, black beans, corn and cilantro. You will need about one half cup of each ingredient. I like to use small glass bowls for each ingredient. Being organized will help the whole process go smoother.

For the red bell peppers, I prefer to use fresh peppers cut in small dice. For the black beans, use the canned version. Put about one half cup of beans in a small colander and rinse with cool water. Likewise, for the corn. I use the canned version and drain out the water. Finely chop the cilantro, leaves and stems, to yield about two tablespoons.

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Place a flour tortilla on the pan. Put about two tablespoons of the meat mixture on one half of the tortilla. Sprinkle shredded cheese, chopped red pepper, black beans, corn and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Turn down the heat to medium low.

When the bottom of the tortilla has turned a light golden brown and is starting to crisp, use a wide spatula to gently lift the side that does not have any of the filling and fold it over on to the other side. This will make a half circle. Continue to cook on low until the cheese is melted.

Remove the quesadilla to a wooden board and cut into wedges if desired. Otherwise remove directly to a plate.

Serve with Sour cream or lime crema. Garnish with cilantro, lime, etc.

Notes

The cooked taco beef can be refrigerated until you are ready to use. Alternatively, it can be cooked and frozen. If you are freezing the filling, be sure to allow it come to room temperature before using it. To use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. In either case, bring to room temperature before using and warm on the microwave or stovetop.