A chili cheese quesadilla is the perfect way to repurpose a leftover batch of chili! It's a quick, easy, and delicious break from the routine that is sure to become a family favorite.
That is why I love this chili cheese quesadilla recipe so much. It is the perfect meal for when you don’t want to make a meal! If you are repurposing a large pot of chili that is leftover in your refrigerator, the hard work has already been done! Just mix that together with a generous amount of cheese and throw it in some flour tortillas. Simple ingredients make for the easiest meal of the week!
What is it?
Chili cheese quesadillas are a deliciously messy creation that mixes chili with a generous amount of gooey cheese and places it inside a flour tortilla shell folded in half and cooked until golden brown. This easy recipe makes an effortless lunch or family dinner and is a great way to repurpose chili!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Large flour tortillas - You could use corn tortillas, but I think flour tortillas make way better quesadillas.
- Chili - You can use leftover chili or buy a can of chili at the grocery store.
- Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese - You can substitute your favorite cheese for topping chili, but easily melting cheese works best.
- Optional - Any of your favorite chili toppings can be added. This includes raw onions, fresh cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, and hot sauce.
There is no special equipment needed to make chili quesadillas. Personally, I think quesadilla makers are the biggest waste of money in the kitchen. Anyone over the age of 10 should be able to brown a flour tortilla in a skillet. If not, they may sadly be forced into a career path that will never include Taco Bell. As for me, I love making my quesadillas in cast iron skillets. If you don’t own one any large skillet will work, you don't even need a large nonstick skillet specifically.
How to make it
Begin making this easy chili cheese quesadilla recipe by mixing together your chili with the shredded cheese. It is worth noting, that you want to use a thick chili for this meal, like my World's second best chili recipe.
Open the tortilla and lay it on your work surface. Place the cheese and chili mixture onto one half of each tortilla shell and fold tortillas shut. Place the chili quesadilla in a frying pan set over medium heat on the stovetop and cook until the underside of the tortilla turns golden brown, then flip and repeat.
Once both sides have browned the cheese should be melted and the chili should be warm. You can now cut the quesadilla into slices on a cutting board and serve them with your favorite chili fixin's.
Storing leftovers
Leftover chili cheese quesadillas don't store well. The moisture in the chili gets absorbed by the tortilla shells as they sit in the refrigerator, transforming this tantalizing meal into a soggy mess.
If you have leftovers you need to store it is best to remove the chili cheese filling and store it separate from your tortillas. It is easy enough to load it back into a fresh shell when the craving for this simple meal strikes again.
Chili Cheese Quesadilla
Equipment
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 3-4 large flour tortillas
- 15 ounce canned chili or two cups of leftover chili
- 4 ounces shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
- Sour Cream optional
Instructions
- Mix chili and cheese together.
- Spoon chili mixture onto one half of the flour tortilla and fold the tortilla over to cover it.
- Place quesadilla into a skillet on medium heat. Adjust heat as needed to prevent the tortilla from burning.
- Flip quesadilla over once tortilla is crispy and browning.
- Remove the quesadilla from the skillet once both sides are browned and the cheese has melted, let cool slightly and cut in half.
- Top with sour cream and favorite chili toppings if desired.
Nutritional Information
This recipe was originally published May 4, 2015 on FoxValleyFoodie.com.
Fox Valley Foodie
So good!
Rick
This makes me think of the Chile Cheese Buritos that are a Taco Bell menu item in my area. A guilty pleasure item to be sure. But once a year or so…
Patricia Russo
Your recipe sounds good but I love my quesadilla maker because ham or turkey with whatever cheese i think I'll try jalapeno next is for me a yummly lunch.