Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas (Printable Version)

Crispy tortillas stuffed with seasoned beef and melty cheese blend, perfect for easy dinners or entertaining.

# Ingredients:

→ Beef Mixture

01 - ½ tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 pound extra lean ground beef
03 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
04 - 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper
05 - ½ teaspoon dried oregano
06 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
07 - ½ teaspoon garlic powder
08 - ½ teaspoon onion powder
09 - ½ teaspoon salt
10 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
12 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted beef stock or broth

→ Assembly

14 - 340g (12 ounces) shredded cheese blend (cheddar, Monterey jack, and mozzarella)
15 - 6 flour tortillas (7-8 inches in diameter)
16 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking

→ For Serving

17 - Salsa, for serving (optional)
18 - Guacamole, for serving (optional)
19 - Sour cream, for serving (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 93°C (200°F) to keep quesadillas warm while cooking batches.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add ground beef and all spices (chili powder, chipotle pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne). Cook, breaking the beef into small pieces and stirring occasionally, until fully browned and no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes.
03 - Stir in tomato paste and beef stock, cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes. Transfer the beef mixture to a bowl, draining any excess grease if necessary.
04 - Distribute about 225g (8 ounces/2 cups) of cheese among all tortillas on one half of each. Top with the cooked beef mixture, then sprinkle the remaining 115g (4 ounces/1 cup) of cheese over the beef. Fold each tortilla over to create half-moon shapes.
05 - Heat about 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. If using the same pan used for beef, wipe it clean first. Cook quesadillas in batches of two, about 2 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy with melted cheese inside.
06 - Transfer cooked quesadillas to a sheet pan and place in the preheated oven to keep warm while cooking remaining batches. Add more oil to the pan between batches as needed.
07 - Cut each quesadilla in half to yield 12 pieces. Serve with optional salsa, guacamole, and/or sour cream.

# Notes:

01 - For optimal flavor, allow the beef mixture to cool slightly before assembling quesadillas to prevent the tortillas from becoming soggy.
02 - A combination of cheese varieties provides the best melting texture and flavor profile.

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