Ground Beef Quesadillas With Seasoned Beef and Melted Cheese
By Emma Collins
Prep
30 min
Cook
30 min
Total
60 min
Servings
8
Level
Easy
Cooking the folded tortillas over medium heat helps toast the tortillas gradually and melt the cheese to avoid burning the flour tortilla․ Ingredients in ground beef quesadillas include seasoned ground beef‚ black beans‚ jalapenos‚ RoTel tomatoes‚ Monterey Jack cheese‚ and sharp cheddar cheese in a crispy‚ cheesy topping․
The beef recipe calls for chopped onions and garlic added near the end of the cooking time for the beef‚ when it is no longer pink․ The beef grease should be removed from the beef filling mixture before adding cumin‚ salt‚ pepper‚ red pepper flakes‚ jalapeños‚ Rotel with liquid drained off‚ and rinsed black beans to reduce greasiness in this mixture․ Monterey Jack cheese‚ beef‚ and sharp cheddar cheese have been added to the enchilada mixture to ensure the beef filling is completely covered with cheese․
Watch for other cooking cues besides color changes in the onions and the absence of pink in the beef to determine when to take the dish off the heat․ Cook the beef until no pink remains‚ then stop before it dries out․ Browning should occur on the tortillas when they are added to the pan over medium heat‚ along with melting cheese․ Other errors to avoid include using too much heat when browning tortillas‚ which will not allow the cheese and other ingredients to heat through․
Cut quesadillas into halves or thirds and serve with optional accompaniments of sour cream‚ green onions‚ cilantro‚ and avocado․ Individual quesadillas can be wrapped and frozen for later use‚ then thawed overnight and reheated in a microwave oven in one-minute intervals‚ as suggested in the recipe․
Why you'll love this recipe
- Browning folded tortillas over medium heat browns the tortilla shells and melts Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese filling without burning it․
- Cooking beef completely until no pink remains helps prevent a tough filling․ Add cooked onions without browning them to the filling․
- Draining the grease before adding Rotel and beans helps avoid adding too much grease to the seasoned ground meat filling for the tortilla․
- Monterey Jack below the meat and cheddar above the meat create a cheese layer on both sides of the bean and beef mixture․
- Flour tortillas are easier to fold and hold their shape in the recipe than corn tortillas․ The flour tortillas help the quesadillas hold their shape for turning and cutting into portions․
- A flip cooks both sides and lets the center heat through without spilling the filling․
Ingredients
- •1 ½ lb lean ground beef
- •1 cup onions (chopped)
- •2 cloves garlic (minced)
- •1 tsp ground cumin
- •½ tsp pepper
- •½ tsp salt
- •¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- •10 oz Rotel tomatoes (drained; use about half a can)
- •2 tbsp jalapenos (diced)
- •15 oz black beans (drained and rinsed)
- •3 cups Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
- •3 cups sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
- •8 flour tortillas (burrito size, about 8 inches)
- •2 tbsp butter (divided)
- •sour cream (optional)
- •green onions (sliced, optional)
- •cilantro (optional)
- •avocado (sliced, optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a large frying pan or skillet, cook the ground beef and onions over medium heat until the beef has no pink remaining and the onions are translucent.
- 2
Add the garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- 3
Drain the grease and return the beef mixture to the pan.
- 4
Add the cumin, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, jalapenos, drained Rotel tomatoes, and black beans; stir and continue cooking over medium heat until heated through.
- 5
In a large frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat.
- 6
Place one tortilla in the pan and add Monterey Jack cheese, then 3 to 4 tablespoons of the meat mixture, followed by cheddar cheese, on one half of the tortilla.
- 7
Fold the tortilla in half and cook over medium heat until browned, then flip and brown the other side.
- 8
Repeat with the remaining ingredients until all quesadillas are cooked.
- 9
Cut each quesadilla in half or thirds and garnish with optional sour cream, sliced green onions, cilantro, and avocado slices.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
630
Protein
45g
Fat
37g
Carbs
29g
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