Cheese Quesadillas With Lime Pesto
Quesadillas can be as simple as melted Cheddar cheese in a whole wheat tortilla, or you can get a little fancy by adding a layer of refried beans, avocado, or pesto for more flavor. For lunch or dinner, your family will love these Cheese Quesadillas with Lime Pesto.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion finely diced
- 2 Tbsp. pesto sauce
- 1/4 lime juice only, about 1 1/2 tsp.
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 cups cooked chicken steak or fresh avocado, sliced (optional)
- 8 soft taco size flour or whole wheat tortillas
- 3/4 cup salsa for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions until they are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the pesto, lime juice, cheese and meat or avocado (optional). When the onions are golden, add them to this mixture.
- Heat a large skillet (or two, to work faster) over medium heat. Add a tortilla to the pan, spreading a scoop of the mixture on half of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla, and repeat with a second tortilla, so two quesadillas are cooking at once, with their curved edges facing the outside of the pan.
- After 3 – 5 minutes, when the bottoms of the tortillas are lightly browned and the cheese is starting to melt, flip them and lightly brown the second sides. When both sides are browned, remove the tortillas to a baking sheet and repeat with remaining tortillas and pesto-lime mixture (keep the cooked quesadillas warm in the oven until they are all cooked).
- Slice the quesadillas in halves or quarters (a pizza cutter works well for this) and serve them with the salsa, if desired.
Notes
Scramble Flavor Booster: Use Pepper Jack cheese and add chipotle flavored hot pepper sauce to the pesto mixture.
Tip: Serve leftover pesto sauce with crackers, toss it with noodles or steamed vegetables, or freeze it for future use.
Side Dish suggestion: Peel, core, and cut 1 pineapple into bite-sized chunks, or use 1 can pineapple rings or chunks.
Nutritional Information per serving (without meat or avocado) (% based upon daily values): Calories 270, Total Fat 13g, 20%, Saturated Fat 5g, 26%, Cholesterol 20mg, 7%, Sodium 390mg, 16%, Total Carbohydrate 28g, 9%, Dietary Fiber 0g, 0%, Sugar 1g. Protein 11g
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