These cheesy beef quesadillas are like Mr. Rogers’ sweater – a warm, familiar hug that just brings you to your happy place. No seriously.
You see, my happy place is a dinner table where the 4 other people in this house eat everything on their plate with a smile on their face. That happens with only about 6 meals currently, but this is one of them.
Even better, they’re ready in less than 30 minutes. That’s prepped, cooked, and on the table.
I swear, the time between when the kids get home from school, and we need to eat, keeps shrinking. Just emptying three knapsacks and going through all the papers that come home every day takes me more than 30 minutes. Meals this delicious and easy are a life-saver.
Change It Up With Different Flavours!
I also love how easy it is to mix it up. They don’t have to be cheesy beef quesadillas. They could be cheesy chicken quesadillas, or pork quesadillas. You also don’t have to use ground meat. Instead, you can dice up some chicken or pork into little cubes, or even thinly slice strips of steak. They’re all equally delicious!
Want to make it spicy? Add some diced jalapeños and a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the mix. I actually always keep a jar of pickled jalapeños in the fridge for exactly this reason (I can’t always find decent fresh ones in the grocery stores close to us).
What to have with Cheesy Beef Quesadillas?
On the side, I like to have a couple bowls of sour cream and salsa to dip the cheesy beef quesadillas into. There are lots of other things you could add while you’re cooking them up too.
Sometimes I’ll sauté some diced onions and peppers along with the ground beef. You can also stir in a drained can of mexi-corn (or just plain corn kernels) along with the tomato paste. You can even keep the meat totally out of it, and load up on sautéed veggies with the cheese to make a vegetarian version.
One of my favourite things to eat with these cheesy beef quesadillas is Mexican style rice. The kind you get a Mom and Pop style Mexican restaurant is unbeatable. I can seriously eat it by the truckload.
Check back in a couple days and I’ll have a recipe up for that rice you see in the background there. I’ve got the recipe up for you now for this incredible restaurant style Mexican Rice. You can have it cooking, hands free, while you make these quesadillas so it’s still a 30 minute meal!
Like Mexican Food? You’ll Love These Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas!
These Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas are a delicious twist on one of Bo’s favourite Mexican meals. There’s 30 minutes of prep to them, then another 30 minutes in the oven. It’s still a nice easy recipe to make though.
The kids were all able to eat and enjoy these too. The buffalo flavour isn’t overpowering (and you can easily kick up the heat if you don’t have to worry about little mouths).
Cheesy Beef Quesadilla Recipe
So, I know that typically cheesy beef quesadillas would be a whole tortilla, topped with cheese and meat, then another tortilla on top and cut like a pizza. You can totally make them that way if you want to. I prefer them like this though, because it’s SO much easier to eat. It isn’t as floppy, and nothing is falling out the sides on me. Way easier for the kids too.
I know, enough yammering, you want what you came here for. A cheesy beef quesadilla recipe. I hope you devour them as quickly as we all do! Let me know how you liked them in the comments!
Cheesy Beef Quesadillas
Cheesy Beef Quesadillas are a delicious, quick and easy 30 minute meal the entire family loves to eat. You can switch it up with chicken or pork too!
Ingredients
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 3/4 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp canola oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (or ground or diced chicken or pork)
- 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp chicken stock (or beef stock, or water)
- 10 medium flour tortillas
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I like a nacho blend with cheddar, monterey jack, mozzarella, and jalapeños)
- 10 medium flour tortillas
- Sour cream (for serving)
- Salsa (for serving)
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together the chili powders, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Heat a large non-stick pan over medium high. Add the oil along with the ground beef. Use a wooden spoon to mix and break apart the beef, continuing until cooked through. About 5 minutes. If there is a lot of fat, drain it off before continuing.
Stir in the spice mixture.
Stir in the tomato paste and stock (or water). Cook for another 1- 2 minutes, until the stock is absorbed.
Remove the meat to a medium bowl and set aside. Wipe out your pan and return it to the heat.
Working with two tortillas at a time: put about 2 tablespoons of the cheese across one half of each tortilla. Top with the beef mixture (1/4 - 1/2 cup), then another 2 tablespoons of cheese. Fold the empty half of each tortilla over to create a half-moon shape, and place them into the skillet.
When the first side is lightly browned and the cheese melted, about 1-2 minutes, carefully flip it over and press down on the top slightly. Cook for another minute on the second side.
Serve right away, or place it in the oven to keep warm (see notes).
Notes
To keep your finished tortillas warm while you finish cooking the rest, place them on a baking sheet in a 190°F oven.
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