Cheeseburger Quesadillas!

As you all know, I love Mexican food!  My family likes it also, but because they are picky eaters in some ways, they like it to be sort of Americanized or scaled down in the spiciness and ingredients.

 I have even gotten Mr. Sweet Tea, who is my biggest challenge, when it comes to new things, to eat several recipes with a Mexican flair to them!   This makes me happy, because then I don't end up cooking two different meals as much!!!   

These "Cheeseburger Quesadillas" was an idea I had that I thought would please everyone and it did!!!    These are so easy and they are perfect for feeding picky husbands, teenagers, or kids of any age really!!!    I mean who doesn't love a cheeseburger??? 

 These are great served with soup or serve them with fries like you would a cheeseburger!  They are great for lunch or supper!   They are quick, easy and yummy!!! 

Here is what you will need:

2 lbs. ground beef or chuck, browned
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tsp. yellow mustard
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
seasoned salt to taste
black pepper to taste
8  (8 inch) flour tortillas
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese or a cheddar jack blend
4 Tbs. butter, divided


In large skillet, brown the ground beef until completely browned.  Drain excess grease.  Add the ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt and black pepper!   Stir to combine and bring to a boil for just a few minutes.  Simmer until the mixture thickens.  Be sure to stir so it doesn''t stick. 

Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large flat skillet or on a griddle.  Place one flour tortilla on the pan.  Your heat should be on about medium. 

Sprinkle with 1/4 of the ground beef mixture and then top with 1 cup of cheese.

Lay another flour tortilla on top and press down with a spatula to help melt the cheese so they stick together and make turning easier.

When it's brown on one side, carefully flip it over with a wide spatula and brown on the other side.

When it's nice and brown, remove to a plate or cutting board and cut in fourths.  This is really easy if you use a pizza cutter!   Repeat with the rest of the ingredients until you have 16 wedges!!! If you are cooking for  two or three people, you could cut this recipe in half!

Top with dill pickles if you are a pickle lover!!!  These are really yummy with chili!!!  

Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas!

I love Mexican food.  After Italian, it's my favorite ethnic food.   Fortunately, we have some really good Mexican restaurants in our area.   Unfortunately, my husband is not a fan and never wants to go to one!  When I worked in corporate America, I would go at lunchtime with my friends a lot, but now I work from home and don't do that so much.   Therefore, I cook my own favorites a lot more and I can adjust them so that picky pants (aka husband)  will eat them also! 

Quesadillas are one of my favorite things and so easy and the whole family will eat these!  I like to serve these when I have Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili or Taco Soup.  They are also a good party appetizer or after school snack!  Here is what you will need:

2 cups diced or shredded cook chicken breast (about 2 large breasts)

1 pkg. Fajita seasoning mix

1/4 cup water

2 Tbs. butter

4 large (burrito size) flour tortillas

8 slices pepper jack cheese

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (include some of the green blade)

1/2 cup  pickled jalapeno pepper rings, diced fine (optional)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Place the chicken in a skillet with the fajita mix and 1/4 cup water.  Bring it to a low boil, then turn it down and just simmer it so some of the water evaporates and the seasoning blends well.  This is a good way to use leftover chicken or you could use a rotisserie chicken.

In a large skillet, place 1/2 Tbs. butter on medium heat.  When it's melted and bubbly lay 1 tortilla in the skillet.  It needs to be medium high heat, but not too hot or you will burn the tortilla.  On one side of the tortilla lay down 2 slices of the pepper jack cheese, 1/4 of the chicken, 1/4 of the cheddar cheese, 1/4 of the jalapeno peppers, 1/4 of the green onions.  Lift the side that you left uncovered to see if it has browned a little.  Fold that side over the covered side, like you would an omlette,  and gently mash it down a little.  It's best to use a wide spatula for this. 

Let it cook until it's browned and crispy.  It won't take long.  If it needs more browning on the other side, flip it over and cook a little more.  The filling should be melted and yummy!  I find this method much easier than stacking two tortillas with the filling in between.  These are much easier to maneuver without the filling falling out.   Just repeat the whole procedure with the rest of the tortillas. If you are doing these for a crowd and want them all to come off a the same time, you can use a griddle and it works great!

Remove to a cutting board and cut each on in three triangles.  These are nice and hearty for quesadillas and they are very filling! 

Serve with sour cream, salsa, or pico de gallo!  These are so yummy!