This post is years overdue. I throw “Kitchen Sink Quesadillas” up on my menu fairly regularly and I’ve always just linked to a page with the recipe typed straight out of a Real Simple magazine, with no notes or pictures. Since it’s such a reliable go-to meal around here, I figured it deserved a bit of attention!
I got the recipe from Real Simple long before I started this blog. In fact, it was one of my first attempts at vegetarian cooking. I’ll never forget the first time I made kitchen sink quesadillas. As Nate and I finished eating, he looked at me and said, “I didn’t even realize there wasn’t any meat.” We were both surprised how delicious and filling our dinner was!
Our family has come along way since then – nowadays about half of our dinners are vegetarian. I really think this recipe all those years ago helped me realize that eating less meat is no big deal!
Anyway, vegetarian or not, this is a great go-to meal and a nice step up from the basic quesadilla with very little extra work. They are simple and fast to prepare and there is also an option to cook the quesadillas all at one time, which can be especially helpful when cooking for a family.
- Quesadilla ingredients:
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 can corn kernels, drained
- ¾ cup salsa, drained (you don’t have to drain the salsa, but it makes for a much less messy quesadilla, so if you don’t mind the step it’s good to do)
- Small flour tortillas (twice as many as the number of quesadillas you want to make
- Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack
- Optional side salad ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon minced red onion
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Juice of 1 to 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- If cooking the quesadillas in the oven, heat oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, combine the beans, corn, and salsa.
- Place 4 tortillas on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese. Lightly spread the bean-corn-salsa mixture over the cheese, then top with more cheese. Place flour tortillas on top. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5-7 minutes. You can also cook the quesadillas on the stovetop one at a time if you prefer.
- If you would like to whip up the side salad, while the quesadillas are in the oven, combine the onion, cilantro, salt, pepper, lime juice, oil and sugar. Mix well. Toss with the chopped lettuce. (I hardly ever make the salad!)
- Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve with the salad. Also good with salsa, sour cream and guacamole!
Hi! My name is Jane Maynard and you've landed yourself on my blog, This Week for Dinner™. Every Sunday I share a weekly menu...and count on you to share yours! You'll also find other deliciousness that I hope you'll enjoy!
Love this! We definitely need to work harder at more vegetarian meals… I have quite a lot of resistance around here, but will give this one a try 🙂
you just have to serve the food and not mention the lack of meat, that’s what I always do! nate only catches on about half the time. 😉
This is fabulous Jane. I can’t wait to try this one.
it’s so tasty and so easy, you’ll love it!
I make this for myself often. Ya gotta love kitchen sink cookery! 🙂
maybe I should start a kitchen sink series…burritos, pasta, salad, and on and on! 😉
My sister is a pescetarian and its sometimes hard to find a good dish. This one looks great and pinning it! Hopefully she will like it! Perfect weekend food!
I hope she likes it, too! fingers crossed! 😉
I started making these a few years ago, straight from your site (no picture and all!). We love them!
I know there’s a few of you out there who have been making this for years, i love that! 🙂
hmm… why do you think it is called “kitchen sink” quesadillas? every time i saw it in your menu i thought it meant whatever ingredients were on-hand (everything but the kitchen sink), so i thought there would be more ingredients. i love fajita veggies in my vegetarian quesadillas if you ever need to switch it up!
I agree with you! I think that is why they named it that, but it really just has three extras…however, you could throw in more stuff you have lying around, but they never actually say that in the recipe, so, still, real simple is silly! 😉
love the fajita veggie idea – yum!!!!!!!!!!
I think quesadillas are a great way to use up all sorts of leftovers…beans, corn, a little bit of chicken, onions, peppers, etc. If you have a pancake griddle, it’s a great way to cook them all simultaneously very quickly. Mine cook 1:30 – 2:00 minutes per side.
I have made these a few times and they are super simple and yummy. I also add chopped avocado to the salad.
avocado in the salad sounds delish!
Thanks so much!!!! I had no food in the kitchen but saw this and made it! So good
Thanks so much I had no food in the kitchen but saw this and made it! So good
you’re most welcome! love that the recipe came in handy – it’s a perfect “nothing in the house” meal! 🙂