Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • Nonstick cooking spray (for the skillet)
  • ½ pound lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil (or canola, vegetable, or peanut oil)
  • 1 small onion (chopped)
  • ½ cup cooked corn kernels
  • ½ cup chopped bell pepper
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced jalapeno
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 scallions (trimmed and chopped (white and green parts))
  • Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
  • 4 teaspoons unsalted butter (divided)
  • 8 8-inch flour tortillas
  • 3 cups (12 ounces) mixed shredded Mexican blend cheese and shredded havarti (or the shredded cheese of your choice)
  • Sour cream and salsa (to serve, if desired)

Instruction

  • Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring frequently and breaking up the meat, until it’s crumbly and browned throughout, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a colander and drain.
  • Heat the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are softened and the spices are nice and toasty and aromatic, 5 minutes. Return the browned beef to the skillet, add the scallions, and stir to combine.
  • Heat another large skillet over medium high heat and add a half teaspoon of butter. Place a tortilla in the pan. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese over half of the quesadilla, and distribute 1/8 of the ground beef mixture over the cheese. Top that with another 2 tablespoons of the shredded cheese. Flip the bare half of the tortilla over the filling, cover the pan, and sauté for about 2 minutes until the bottom is golden and the cheese has started to melt, then use a spatula to flip the half-moon quesadilla, and continue to cook, uncovered, until all of the cheese is melted and the underside is browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Remove the quesadilla to a cutting board and let the quesadilla sit for a minute before you slice into 3 wedges. Repeat until all of the quesadillas are cooked. Serve with sour cream and salsa, as desired.