Description
A large, oven‑baked quesadilla made on a sheet pan — cheesy, crispy, and easy to serve to a crowd.
Ingredients
- 8 large burrito‑size flour tortillas
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 (15‑oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 (2.25‑oz) can sliced black olives, drained & rinsed
- 3 cups Colby + Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- ½ cup salsa
- 1 bell pepper, seeded & diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tsp chili powder
- 1½ tsp cumin
- 1½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Sour cream (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 °F (≈ 220 °C).
- Spray one 18×13 inch sheet pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, bell pepper, and yellow onion. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
- Add ground beef and garlic. Cook until beef is browned.
- Drain excess fat, then return meat/veggies to skillet. Stir in chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, black beans, black olives, and salsa.
- On the prepared sheet pan, place 6 of the tortillas around the edges so they overlap and hang over the edge, leaving a gap in the center. Place 1 tortilla over the bottom center gap.
- Evenly spread the meat‑bean mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese on top, then scatter the green onions.
- Lay the final tortilla over the top center of the filling. Starting from either side, tightly fold the overhanging tortillas toward the middle so they enclose the filling.
- Place a second sheet pan on top of the folded tortillas to press them down and keep edges sealed.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the top sheet pan and bake an additional 5 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp.
- Let the quesadilla cool slightly before cutting into portions. Serve with sour cream if desired.
Notes
- Vegetarian version: omit the beef and add extra veggies or cooked lentils or beans.
- You can substitute chicken (cooked/shredded) for the beef if desired.
- Use a store‑bought taco seasoning instead of separate spices if you prefer.
- To reheat and keep crispiness, bake leftovers at 325‑350 °F for ~10 minutes (or use a toaster oven).
- For freezing: after baking, cut into servings, place on a pan to freeze until firm, then wrap tightly and freeze (up to 2 months). Reheat in oven when ready.
Nutrition
- Calories: 271 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 639 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
