Quick Quesadillas

Let’s talk quick and healthy dinners — the one’s you can make in just a few minutes using mostly pantry items so you can be sure to avoid the drive-thru or making any other unhealthy options.  In my house we always keep tortillas in the freezer.  I really like the 365 Whole Wheat Tortillas or Good for Life Brown Rice Tortillas (GF), both are in the frozen section at Whole Foods.  Another one of my favorite things to have ready to go all week is a container full of cooked quinoa.  I try to cook a cup or two of it at the beginning of the week to use on salads, in soup, blended into pasta sauce, or mixed into a quesadilla.  The kids will never know it’s in there!  Some other great add-in’s to the quesadillas are beans, frozen vegetables, and even fruit for a dessert quesadilla.  It’s easy to change the flavors, sneak in extra vegetables, protein, grains, and quick to make!

One of our favorites lately has been a quesadilla with quinoa, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, BBQ sauce, and a fiesta blend cheese.  There is lots of protein, iron, and fiber in these very healthy quesadillas!

 

Another favorite quesadilla is a pizza quesadilla.  It’s the same idea as the cookie cutter pizzas.  I blend spinach and pesto together for one layer, tomato sauce blended with carrot and bell pepper, and then I sprinkle cheese and quinoa onto the tortillas.

These are both a big hit every time I make them.  And my girls love to get the kitchen and help make their own!  I will let them sprinkle the cheese, choose their own vegetables to add, and add the quinoa.  It’s always fun for the little hands to get involved and a great time to teach them about all the nutrition coming from the different ingredients.

Enjoy!