AH Quesadillas

AH Quesadillas

AH Quesadillas

Who doesn’t love a plate of ooey-gooey, cheesy quesadillas? They are absolutely delicious. They’re also the perfect grab-and-go solution for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast. The best part is their versatility. They are kid-food, snack-food, to-go-food, picnic-food, freezer-friendly, and tasty for any meal of the day.

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Quick and Easy Quesadillas – Perfect Meal for Kids!

Kids love quesadillas – both to eat them AND to help fill them! Most important, let your kids get creative. Switch up the fillings, add your favorite dressings/sauces, and share with friends and family for a perfect quick-and-easy meal. Here are a few ideas to get you started…

  • Try using fresh basil, leftover meatballs (crumbled) and eta cheese for an Italian-inspired quesadilla.
  • Add a bit of salsa and/or fresh chiles to the High-Protein Guacamole for a spicier touch.
  • Use leftover pulled pork in place of the shredded chicken for a pulled pork grilled quesadilla.

If you’re in Phase 1 or 2, or you’d like to cut down on the processed carbs – try our Keto-Friendly (no grain) Tortillas.

View the Notes section below to find the Phase 1, 2, and 3 full meal plans. You’ll also find Dairy-Free and Vegetarian Variations of these yummy treats.

What do you like in your quesadilla? Share your ideas in the comments below or snap a picture of your recipe and share it in our Facebook Group. We always love to see what you’ve been cooking!

Looking for More Quick-and-Easy Meals?

Check out our downloadable meal planning classes. Each class comes with an eBook including a Specialized One-Week Meal Plan and Prep Sheet, or Specialized Recipes, as well as Additional Resources prepared by Chef Dawn Ludwig and Chef Kenzie Osborne. Each class also has the option to add-on downloadable presentation slides for more recipes and extra resources.

BONUS: We now have a class specified for family cooking. Check out our “Quick and Easy Cooking for the Family” class here.

AH Quesadilla (with Variations)

Chef Dawn Ludwig
Recipe from ALWAYS HUNGRY? by David Ludwig, MD, PhD, and Dawn Ludwig.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

Quesadillas

  • 4 (8-inch) whole wheat or sprouted-wheat tortillas
  • 6 tbsp shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup Mexican Shredded Chicken (Always Hungry? pg. 241) Alternatively cook 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs in 1 tablespoon oil with spices like cumin and powdered chiles, or use leftover rotisserie chicken
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 recipe High-Protein Guacamole (recipe below)

High-Protein Guacamole (1 recipe yields 4 servings)

  • 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
  • 1 avocado
  • squeeze of lime juice, optional
  • tsp salt, or to taste
  • 2 tbsp salsa (See Always Delicious pg. 302 for our Fresh Salsa recipe)

Instructions
 

For the Quesadillas

  • Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Warm one tortilla on one side, about 15 seconds, then flip.
  • Lower the heat to medium. Sprinkle 1½ tablespoons of the cheese over the whole tortilla. Top the cheese with ½ cup of the shredded chicken and ¼ cup of the cilantro, spreading them evenly over the tortilla. Top with an additional 1½ tablespoons of the cheese and cover with a second tortilla.
  • Cook on the first side until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn carefully with a large spatula so that the filling does not fall out, then cook on the second side until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully remove the from the skillet and place on a large wooden cutting board to cool, 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, chicken, and cilantro.
  • Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Serve warm, topped with High-Protein Guacamole.

High-Protein Guacamole

  • Use an immersion blender to blend together Greek yogurt, avocado, lime juice and salt. Blend until smooth. Mix in salsa at the end. Serve with quesadillas.

Notes

Tip

  • Nothing browns a tortilla better than a cast-iron skillet: It heats them as though they're fresh off the griddle.

 

Nutrition (Per Serving - 1/2 of one quesadilla, no High-Protein Guacamole)

Fat: 17g
Carbohydrates: 49g
Protein: 28g
Calories: 455

 

Nutrition (P3 Full Meal - with High-Protein Guacamole)

Pair with one Chocolate Truffle (Always Delicious page 314). TIP: Add a dash of cayenne pepper to the chocolate truffle batter for a Mexican-style chocolate dessert!
Fat: 43%
Carbohydrates: 36%
Protein: 21%
Calories: 680

 

P1 Full Meal Variation (with High-Protein Guacamole)

Modifications
Fat: 51%
Carbohydrates: 25%
Protein: 24%
Calories: 560

 

P2 Full Meal Variation (with High-Protein Guacamole)

Modifications
  • Use four Keto-Friendly tortillas in place of whole wheat tortillas.
  • Serve with 1/4 cup brown rice (ie: with Mexican Rice in Always Delicious page 227), cooked sweet potato, or corn AND 1/4 cup black beans.
  • NOTE: This is a P2 meal with P1 ratios.
Fat: 54%
Carbohydrates: 23%
Protein: 23%
Calories: 530

Dairy-Free Variation

Replace cheese with 1/4 cup Refried Beans (Always Delicious pg. 225). The beans will help hold the quesadilla together - similar to the cheese. 
Keyword Dairy-Free, Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3

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