Easy Mushroom Quesadillas with Smoked Gouda (Vegetarian)
These easy mushroom quesadillas are perfect for busy weeknights. They take only thirty minutes to prepare and require minimal effort. If you love smoky flavors, you are going to love this recipe. The quesadillas are filled with caramelized mushrooms and onions, which are seasoned with a smoky Mexican spice blend. Instead of regular quesadilla cheese blend I use smoked Gouda for the filling. This brings out the smoked flavor of the quesadilla to another level. Every bite is crunchy and cheesy and so incredibly satisfying.
Why should you make the easy mushroom quesadillas
These quesadillas are crunchy on the outside and cheesy on the inside. They are so satisfying and easy to prepare. I often make them when I don’t have much time to prepare dinner or when I forgot to defrost meat. My family loves mushrooms so they devour these quesadillas and ask for more.
If you like smoky flavors, you are going to love this recipe. There are three smoky ingredients in. With every bite you have the feeling of eating smoky Texas barbecue. There is smoked paprika and chipotle chili powder in the spice blend. The cheese I used is also smoked. Although Gouda it is not the typical cheese for quesadillas I think it pairs perfectly with the Mexican flavors and caramelized vegetables.
These quesadillas are meatless, but they taste so rich. The texture of the mushrooms is so close to meat that you won’t miss it. If you use a plant-based cheese you can also make them vegan.
Helpful tips for the Ingredients
Prepare your ingredients before you start cooking. I like to wash and chop my vegetables before I start cooking this will guarantee that I won’t forget something.
For this recipe I use large 10-inch flour tortillas from Trader Joe’s. These are my favorite store-bought flour tortillas.
Cremini mushrooms have so much flavor compared to white button mushrooms. I prefer to use them in my recipes.
If you don’t like Gouda you can replace the cheese. Make sure you use cheese that melts good (Mozzarella, Cheddar or Monterey Jack). You want a gooey, stretchy bite. At most grocery stores there are bags of Mexican blend cheeses that can be perfect for this recipe. I avoid buying shredded cheese because there are anti clumping agents added to the cheese. I prefer to buy a block of cheese and grate it myself. It really doesn’t take much time and I’m in control with the amount I need.
Where to find chipotle salsa for the sauce? I love chipotle salsa and I always have it in my pantry. You can find it at the ethnic section of any Walmart, Target, or other big grocery store. Usually, I buy the San Marcos chipotle salsa. When I take the amount that I need for the recipe I pour the remaining salsa in a jar with a lid and store it in the fridge for a week.
Tips about preparing the easy mushroom quesadillas
I like to sauté the mushrooms and onions in a large cast iron pan. When you sauté vegetables they shrink, because they lose water. You might think that there are a lot of mushrooms in this recipe, but once you sauté them, they reduce their volume significantly.
Always add seasonings once the onions and mushrooms are done cooking. If you season them when you add them to the pan they will release even more water and the spices will burn.
In every one of my recipes, I ask you to taste and adjust the flavors to your liking. That is why the salt and pepper are always to taste.
In this recipe I use the oven to crisp up the tortillas, but if you prefer you can pan fry them. Once you fold the quesadillas you can cook each one for about two minutes per side or until golden brown.
Serving and storing quesadillas
You can serve the quesadillas with chopped tomatoes and avocado. They go very well with salsa or guacamole. When I make any Mexican recipe, I always prepare my chipotle sour cream.
Store leftovers in an aright container or a Ziplock bag in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in microwave, toaster oven or in a pan before serving.
Easy Mushroom Quesadillas with Smoked Gouda
Ingredients
- 16 oz cremini mushrooms one pound, sliced
- 1 large onion cut to slices
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil I used avocado
- 4 large flour tortillas 10 inch is best
- 8 oz shredded smoked Gouda
- salt and pepper to taste
Quesadilla spice blend
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp chipotle chili powder
Sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp chipotle salsa
Instructions
- Slice the onion and mushrooms.
- Mix all the spices for the quesadilla seasoning.
- Grate the cheese.
- Preheat the oven to 400F (with convection if possible) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (optional).
- Preheat a cast iron skillet to medium-high. Then add the oil, onions and mushrooms to the pan. Sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Once they are caramelized add salt and pepper to taste and the quesadilla seasoning spice mix. Stir, cook for 2-3 minutes and then remove from the stovetop.
- Assemble the quesadillas by adding a quarter of the grated cheese and the cooked vegetables on one side of the tortilla. Then fold the other side on top. Repeat until you don’t have any vegetable mixture and cheese left. I usually get 4 quesadillas.
- Line the quesadillas on a baking sheet. I add an oven safe rack if I use the convention setting f the oven. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until the quesadillas are golden brown and the cheese inside is melted.
- While the quesadillas are in the oven add the sour cream and the chipotle salsa in a bowl and stir it well.
- Serve the quesadillas warm with the sauce and your favorite toppings.
