Veggie Quesadillas Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Thinly slice the onion and red bell pepper. Halve the zucchini lengthwise, then slice into half-moons about 1/4" thick. Clean and slice mushrooms. Mince the garlic and chop the cilantro.

Cook vegetables

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When shimmering, add the sliced onion and bell pepper. Sauté 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the zucchini and mushrooms and continue to cook 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and any released liquid has mostly evaporated.

Season

Reduce heat to medium, add the minced garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the chopped cilantro and lime juice, then remove the pan from heat and transfer the vegetable mixture to a bowl to cool slightly.

Combine cheeses in a bowl and mix to distribute evenly.

Heat a clean large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Lightly butter one side of a tortilla (or spray with oil). Place the tortilla butter-side-down in the skillet.

On the top (exposed) side of the tortilla in the skillet, sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture in an even layer, leaving a 1/2" border. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the cooked vegetable filling over the cheese, spreading evenly but not overfilling. Sprinkle another 1/4 cup cheese over the vegetables (this helps the top tortilla stick if you fold).

Fold the tortilla in half over the filling (or place a second tortilla on top if preferred) and press gently with a spatula. Cook 2–3 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and the cheese starts to melt. Carefully flip and cook the other side 1.5–2 minutes until golden and cheese is fully melted.

Transfer the cooked quesadilla to a cutting board and let rest 1 minute. Repeat with remaining tortillas, buttering the outside of each tortilla before placing in the skillet and using the remaining filling and cheese. If using two tortillas per quesadilla, assemble similarly and cook slightly longer to allow cheese to melt through.

Slice each quesadilla into 3–4 wedges with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.

Serve warm with optional sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and lime wedges. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.