I love to cook, and spending hours in the kitchen working on a special meal for my family is a labor of love. That being said, I’m not one to pass up the opportunity to make quick, easy and inexpensive meals that use up bits of leftovers that I always seem to have in the fridge. I was left with one very small filet from a package of tenderloins I bought at Costco last week and was challenged to make it stretch to a dinner for two. Mexican food is a favorite in my house and with the addition of only a few ingredients we enjoyed a meal that in no way resembled what I usually think of as leftovers.
A recipe really isn’t needed for these delicious quesadillas. If you have a few basics in your fridge and pantry they are so easy to assemble. I’m very lucky in this regard because my favorite Mexican restaurant is just a few blocks down the street and I can purchase the best guacamole, refried beans, tortillas, etc. anytime at a very reasonable price. I wrote about this wonderful little bakery and restaurant, PANADERIA Y TAQUERIA GONZALES, in a previous post. If you live in or plan to visit the Newberg area you will want to stop by for a visit. The food is so good.
Soooo….this is how I made my steak and refried bean quesadillas…
generously spread one side of a tortilla with refried beans
top beans with thinly sliced steak
add sauteed onions
lots of pepper jack cheese and crumbled queso fresco
top with chopped cilantro and a second tortilla
fry in a bit of vegetable oil until cheese is melted and tortillas are brown and crispy
Serve with guacamole and sour cream.
I am very fortunate to be able to buy local fresh, handmade ingredients for my Mexican food. But I have made our favorite dishes many, many times with the excellent ingredients found in my local grocery store and the results are first rate. You can use just about any meat, cheese or vegetables in quesadillas with delicious results. Almost anything goes.
According to Wikipedia a quesadilla (pron.: /ˌkeɪsəˈdiːjə/, Spanish: [kesaˈðiʎa], [kesaˈðiʝa]) is a flour or a corn tortilla filled with a savory mixture containing cheese, other ingredients, and/or vegetables. This dish originated in Mexico, and the name is derived from tortilla and the Spanish word for cheese, queso.
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{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
Your quesos look good and with beef filet, has to be delicious. I’m with you: Quesadillas= almost anything+cheese between grilled tortillas.
Larry recently posted..A Good Burger Bun
Beautiful photography. Those look fantastic.
lol….we never had quesadillos until recently. Been missing some good food.
Those look simple and delicious!! Yumm!!
Rebekah @ Making Miracles recently posted..Delicious Donut Muffins!
Oh yum! Love the idea of thinking of quesadillas as a vehicle for leftovers, they are so good:@)
They look absolutely wonderful! My mouth is watering just thinking about them.
Erin @ Making Memories recently posted..Birthday Cake Postcard
That looks devine, I just made quesadillas with leftover roast chicken last weekend and my boy loved it….simple and delicious, great way to refresh leftover food!
Jeannie recently posted..Osmanthus Jelly & Butter Cake
This a great use of leftovers. I love meals that are quick like this too. They look and sound delicious. I wish I had a nice Mexican restaurant near me, especially to get homemade refried beans…yum:)
Raina recently posted..Tasty Beef Tacos
Waw! Cathy! You made real tasty filled quesadillas here! they look amazing & fantasticly tasty too!
Yummmm!
These look so taste Cathy and the avocado is so pretty in the green guacamole on the side. Yes, I could definitely eat one of these.
Sam
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen recently posted..Ina’s Beef Bourguignon and a Man in the Kitchen
Bean and steak…the quesadillas look satisfying and delicious.
Angie@Angie’s Recipes recently posted..Spelt Coconut Pinwheels
We love quesadillas at our house! These look amazing!
Kirstin recently posted..Recipe: Quick and Easy Tostadas
We too love quesadillas at our house Cathy. Your picture makes me crave some for lunch, but I’ll have to use chicken instead of steak this time.
Lynda recently posted..Banana Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
My family would love this.
I think there may be a trip to Newberg in my future, this restaurant and bakery does sound good.
Marilyn recently posted..Cheryl’s Cup of Tea
Quick and easy is often the way to go Cathy. These do sound good.
bellini recently posted..WOW Your Guests with a Scallop Ceviche with Finger Limes
i’m seriously so full right now, and these still look amazing. so flavorful!
teresa recently posted..Lemon Graham Squares
Darn it…I could have had this tonight if I had read it before doing something else with leftovers…er, I mean “reruns”. LOL
It really looks good, Cathy! I have a question though…do you pre-heat the beans prior to assembly?
I’m wondering if the outside would be too browned before the inside was heated through. I look forward to some more leftovers now!!
Rettabug recently posted..Sewing Up A Storm!
This sounds really wonderful!
Your photos are killing me, Cathy! It’s lunch time and the kitchen is bare!!
Sue/the view from great island recently posted..Shitake Bolognese
You are a magician with leftovers Cathy! These quesadillas look amazing!
The Café Sucré Farine recently posted..Shitake Bolognese from a Delicious Guest Blogger!
Not only did you stretch your filet but did so in a delicious sounding way.
Karen (Back Road Journal) recently posted..Thai Green Coconut Curry
A perfect quesadilla Cathy. What a great way to use leftovers without feeling like that is what you are doing. I would love this.
Penny recently posted..Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
I could eat quesadillas once a week! I usually make them with chicken but I would love to try a steak version. They sound delicious! You are lucky to have such a great local place to buy all the ingredients.
Susan recently posted..Coq au Vin for the Wine Enthusiast
I have some beans and roast beef in my fridge, I might just have this for dinner tomorrow!
Rhonda recently posted..Favorite Things #46 – Sweet and Savory Combos
Oh, this sounds like the perfect way to use leftovers to me! And there’s nothing like a quick meal sometimes!!!
Ok, now I am kind of wishing I had read this before I made mine.
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon recently posted..Hot Pepper Cheese Quesadilla Lunch
Oh how delicious! Honestly I think I could LIVE on these!
Mary x
Mexican style cuisine is so popular here in Colorado, and I have a lot to learn about it as it wasn’t the same in New York City. i still get confused between burritos, tortillas, tacos and quesadillas…but I’m learning. Your quesadillas look so delicious, Cathy! I’d love sinkig my teeth into one!
Pat recently posted..Our First Winter in Colorado
Quesadillas have even made it this far south, and this recipe looks like a doozy!! But maybe that’s just your fine photograph … I’ll have to test it to see!!
Red Nomad OZ recently posted..Now you see it … OZ Scenic Public Toilet #32
Cathy, that looks delicious! Lovely melted cheese, onions and steak with a Mexican touch.
( I wish I had a bakery like that nearby.)
Barbara recently posted..Nancy’s Roquefort Quiche
Kathy, I want to try everything you post on this blog! This made me instantly hungry. It sounds delicious!
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) recently posted..Homemade Catalina Dressing
What a beautiful way to use leftover tenderloin. Love, love it. No doubt leftovers at your house rock.
Velva
Velva recently posted..Dirt to Table Experience: Indian Vegetable Curry
Mmmmm now I want this for dinner. I think this a fabulous meal and beats the kabobs we go and pick up.
Jamie recently posted..Chocolate Gingerbread Macarons