Quesadilla is great as a snack or as a side dish, especially during lunchtime. But do you know that it is also a good way to get your kids to eat vegetables? Check out these three quesadilla recipe ideas that can inspire you to make many more combinations at home. Your kids would happily eat the veggies in them. Read more.

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Introducing Our Kids to Quesadilla

Quesadilla, pronounced /ˌkāsəˈdēyə/, is a traditional Mexican dish made of soft taco that is used to sandwich cheese and meats. Before serving, it is heated on both sides for a couple of minutes on a griddle so that the wrap becomes a bit warm and toasty. It shouldn’t take long on the griddle.

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Our kids were first introduced to this dish because they were picky eaters. When we have family dinners in restaurants, I would usually order something with a familiar and simple taste that is easy to eat. So if it is available, I would order cheese quesadilla for them. Even if they don’t like the main course, at least they have eaten something.

Ever since, I have made quesadilla at home using different fillings. Thankfully, their tastes have evolved and so they eat pretty much everything I prepare.

Make Your Own Quesadilla at Home

Quesadilla is one of the easiest things you can cook at home. It’s savory, easy to eat, very easy to cook, and well-loved by everyone.

To make things easier for us busy and hardworking moms, we don’t have to make our own soft taco anymore. Just buy ready-made pita bread from a shawarma maker or soft tacos from the supermarket. In Bacolod City, I get mine by the dozen from Mommy Tania Romagos of Eleven11 Shawarma Station to make a total of 6 quesadillas. When I made healthy chicken wraps last time, I also bought the pita bread from her.

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That way, our only problem is the filling. And below, I am going to show you 3 quesadilla recipe ideas for inspiration. It’s not inked in black and white so you can always mix and match and add more healthy ingredients available to you.

I just want to show that you can always experiment in the kitchen and come up with new and healthy dishes that your kids will enjoy.

Other Healthy Recipes

Meanwhile, here are other recipes that can get your kids to eat vegetables.

• The Healthy Macaroni Soup Recipe with hidden carrots
• This Shepherd’s Pie Recipe will Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables
• Try This: The Healthiest Mashed Potato Recipe for Your Kids

Cooking Tip

Traditionally, quesadilla is cooked on a griddle. I don’t have one so I use my non-stick pan and toast the quesadilla without oil. On medium heat, toast one side of the quesadilla for a maximum of 2 minutes. Using a solid turner, flip to heat the other side.

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The Use of Grated Cheese

Processed cheddar cheese is very famous in the Philippines. And it seems that our kids love it so much, which is why they love cheesy fries, pizza lasagna, or baked macaroni.

In the same way, it is the cheese that brings the quesadilla together. If you do not know about other kinds of cheeses, don’t fret. Regular cheddar cheese would do.

Just grate some on top of the filling and you are good to go. It is yummy plus it also hold the quesadilla together.

3 Yummy Quesadilla Recipe Ideas with Vegetables

More often than not, kids love cheese. So simply spreading grated cheddar cheese between two pieces of pita bread would be enough.

But try to be more adventurous and add vegetables. You will be surprised that how cooking it right can get even your picky kids to eat veggies. By the way, it would help if you don’t announce it, just add the veggies and let the kids eat.

These three ideas can be your inspiration to make your own quesadilla recipes. Let’s have some of the basic things that we already enjoy at home.

Chorizo with Carrots Quesadilla

For this combination, I bought the Cebu chorizo by Virginia Foods. Four pieces are 250 grams (1/4 kg). I removed the edible chorizo wrapping and placed the meat onto the pan.

I added some grated carrots and about ½ cup of water. So basically, the chorizo meat is cooked in water and its own oil while the carrots get flavored by the chorizo.

The result is just wonderful and delicious. You wouldn’t recognize carrots anymore. Plus, the carrots do not change the flavor of the chorizo.

Let the pan slant so that the excess oil will drip and then remove the cooked chorizo. If you don’t, your pita bread will become too soggy because of the oil.

Divide the mixture into four in order to make four quesadillas. Top with grated cheese and cover with the second pita bread.

Chicken Pesto Quesadilla

The day before, we had some baked 40-garlic chicken with pesto. Most of the time, the meaty breast part is left behind as we prefer the sinewy parts and the chicken skin.

So I chopped the chicken breast and mashed them, spread them over the pita bread, and sprinkled more dried basil.

Since I had extra shredded carrots, I sprinkled some on top, too.

Then I grated cheese over it and covered it with another piece of pita bread. Voila, chicken pesto quesadilla with carrots.

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Ground Pork with Assorted Vegetables

We have some sautéed ground pork that our cook mixed with shredded carrots, singkamas (jicama), and thinly sliced Chinese pechay. It was seasoned with salt, black pepper, and some soy sauce.

I spread some of the meat on a pita bread and topped it with grated cheese. Cover with another pita bread. That’s a load of assorted vegetables in this one!

Storage

Make several quesadilla at one time because you can store these in the freezer and cook them at another time.

Wrap each quesadilla in plastic and pile them in the freezer. Make sure that they are don’t get folder or squished so that they don’t get bent out of shape.

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When you are ready to cook them, thaw for at least an hour and cook in the same way on the non-stick pan