Cheeseburger Quesadillas

Joe was in China recently, and I was “cooking for one.”  I had made chicken three times in the past week, so I was ready for red meat.  Joe always mans the grill; therefore, steak wasn’t an option.  I dreamed up this quesadilla to satisfy my beef craving.  It features all my favorite burger condiments – cheese, onions, pickles, mustard, and sport peppers!  Your quesadilla can hold all of your favorite toppings.  For one or for a crowd, this meal is a winner.

Ingredients

Flour tortillas – one or two per person (see below).  I use 8-inch tortillas.
1 pound of ground beef
1 Tablespoon of McCormick’s Montreal Steak seasoning
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
½ medium onion (optional)
Burger toppings and condiments of your choice

Chop the onion into small pieces and mix it with the ground beef, Montreal Steak seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.  Brown the ground beef and onion (together) in a skillet.  Allow the meat to cook completely.  Let it cool briefly.

To assemble the quesadilla, there are two options.  One way is to use two tortillas, in which you put the fillings across one whole tortilla and top with the other.  Another way is to use only one tortilla, put the filling across one-half of the tortilla, and then fold the top over to make a half-circle.  It is easier to put more toppings on a two-tortilla quesadilla, but it is also slightly more difficult to flip in the pan.  A half-circle is easier to flip but toppings can be somewhat limited because of the fold.  The choice is yours!

I suggest putting cheese (if using) on the bottom and top layers of the quesadilla, so that it will melt more easily.  Cheese, then ground beef, then other fillings, more cheese, and then mustard or other condiments.  Spread condiments lightly so that they don’t make the tortilla soggy.  Another option is to dip the quesadilla in condiments as you eat.

Heat the assembled quesadilla on the stove in a separate, dry skillet, over medium low heat.  Allow one to two minutes per side, or until the tortilla gets a little bit of color and you can feel it getting crispy to the touch.  You also will see the cheese melt.  Then put the quesadilla on a board and cut into thirds (one tortilla method) or quarters (two tortillas method).  Enjoy!

Bonus Recipe:  There’s another way to make these cheeseburger treats.  I used to do this for Matthew.  Use the same ingredients, and cook the ground beef completely, but instead of making a quesadilla, fold the ingredients into the tortilla burrito-style.  Wrap the tortilla tightly around the beef and other fillings.  Then wrap the whole burrito tightly into non-stick aluminum foil.  This can be done hours ahead of time (keep refrigerated).  When you are ready to fix lunch or dinner, preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  At temperature, put the wrapped burritos, still in foil, into the oven on a sheet tray.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.  The burritos will come out piping hot, and the tortillas will remain soft.  And there you have a cheeseburger burrito!

First published by Judy on February 19, 2015

The photo shows my favorite cheeseburger quesadilla.  I use the one tortilla method.  I'm not a big bread fan, so an 8-inch tortilla for me is just right.  I love that these can be customized, they cook quickly, and they could be appetizers or a main meal.