Whole wheat crispy tortillas sandwiching cheesy & veggie goodness? Sign me up. These Spanish Cheese & Zucchini Quesadillas have 4 ingredients, take 15 minutes to whip up, and way less minutes to gobble down (which is pretty typical around here for quesadillas.. since they are normally made around 10 PM).
While quesadillas are a simple food, I like to jazz them up so they can be upgraded from a snack to a meal contender. By stuffing these with sautéed veggies and topping them with diced tomato and mashed avocado, I feel like we’ve adequately covered the food groups (carbs, veggies, cheese, and avocado – of course), no?
- ½ small zucchini
- ¼ sweet white onion
- 2 small whole wheat tortillas
- 1 ounce cabra al vino cheese
- Toppings: guacamole, salsa, tomato, cilantro
- Thinly slice zucchini and cut each round in half. Dice the onion.
- In a pan on medium heat, cook the zucchini and onion together with a bit of salt and pepper until they begin to soften and brown (about 5 minutes). Remove from the heat.
- Oil the pan (or use spray) and place one tortilla down. Crumble half the cheese on top of it, layer the veggies on top of the cheese, and then crumble the additional cheese on top. Push the other tortilla down on top.
- Cook the tortilla on one side for about 3 minutes, and then flip and cook it on its other side for about 2 minutes. It should be browning nicely and crisping up.
- Slice the quesadilla into quarters and serve with guacamole, salsa, tomato, and cilantro.
My new discovery thanks to the cheese section of Trader Joe’s (#danger) is drunken goat cheese. Cabra al vino (“drunken goat”) cheese is a Spanish hard goat cheese that has lovely melting qualities. The name of these cheese comes from the fact that the wheels of cheese are soaked in wine, as the acidity ensures the surface doesn’t allow the growth of mold. Any semi-hard Spanish cheese will do though if you can’t get your hands on it!
What are your favorite things to stuff in quesadillas? I knew mushrooms would take this flavor combination to the next level too if you aren’t a zucchini fan!
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The winner of the Noosa coupon giveaway has been emailed- congrats, Emily from Zen & Spice!
Marisa
Deanna Segrave-Daly (@tspbasil) says
Totally sign me up! Love love me some quesadillas and this is perfect for the glut of zucchini that August brings 😉
Marisa says
Yep, definitely another tasty way to eat up those zucchinis!
Mary Brighton @BrightonYourHealth says
Going to try this one! Any recommendations for a substitute cheese if I cannot find the one (capra al vino) you recommend in this recipe?
Marisa says
Hi Mary – thanks for stopping by! I would recommend Iberico or Manchego, both firmer Spanish cheeses with mild flavor. I have been able to find one of the three at all the grocery stores I shop at now that Spanish cheese is a popular appetizer.
Kelli @Hungry Hobby says
I LOVE goat cheese, and I love quesadillas and I love how delicious this looks! I can’t wait to try it!
Marisa says
Let me know what you think, Kelli!
Erin @ The Almond Eater says
Drunken goat cheese eh? Might have to look out for that next time cause you knowwww I love me some goat cheese.
Marisa says
Seriously though, goats are the best 😉
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious says
They look great! And so funny, b/c I just made zucchini black bean quesadillas as a summer version of my sweetpotato black bean quesadillas from last fall!
Marisa says
Yum !! The black bean and sweet potato combo sounds delish.
Emily @ Zen & Spice says
My favorite quesadilla stuffers are mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese of course, and sometimes black olives! I’ll have to try zucchini next time!
Marisa says
Yum – yes! I haven’t had black olives in awhile, that sounds like a lovely salty addition!
Cassie says
I love quesadillas… I’m actually trying to use different cheeses, not just being lazy and using the same types all the time… so I have to find this guy and try it out!!
Marisa says
Yes, it’s so easy to always pick up a shredded blend but I end up loving something more exotic when I try it!
Julia says
I LOVE jazzed up quesadillas! Love the idea of using zucchini in a quesadilla – just brilliant! And that guac is driving me bonkers. Beautiful meal, indeed!