Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas

We love quesadillas in our house. They are especially yummy stuffed with some barbeque pulled pork and cheddar cheese. Or just simply filled with cheese for a Mexican Grilled Cheese. I also love roasted vegetables but never thought about putting the two together. Now that I have tried it, I expect this to be a regular in our house.

I found the recipe on Ezra Pound Cake. and was hooked by her intro about using random leftover vegetables for this dish (I aspire to having a blog like hers one day). I followed her recipe fairly closely but the possibilities are endless. In addition to experimenting with different veggies and cheese, I plan on trying different herbs and seasonings. This is the perfect recipe for a light Saturday lunch, a side with dinner, or as an appetizer. Thanks, Rebecca!

Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas

adapted from the Moosewood Collective's Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

Note: The vegetables don’t have to be measured exactly for this recipe to work fine. One medium potato, a very small onion, half a bell pepper, and one small zucchini should do the trick. For the best results, cut the vegetables into quite thin slices–no more than 1/4 inch thick.

Serves 4

2 cups quartered and sliced potatoes
1/2 cup sliced onions
3/4 cup sliced red or green bell peppers
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
2 tablespoons olive oil (I used butter)
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 flour tortillas (8 inches across)
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese (I used a quesadilla mix)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss all of the vegetables with the olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper until evenly coated. Spread them on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in the oven until the potatoes are tender and beginning to brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Pile about 1/4 of the roasted vegetable filling on one half of each of the tortillas, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the outer edge. Top the filling with 1/4 cup of the cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling to form a half-moon shape.

Heat a lightly oiled large skillet on medium heat. When the skillet is hot, cook two of the quesadillas for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove the quesadillas from the skillet and keep them warm while cooking the remaining two quesadillas. Slice each quesadilla in half and serve warm.