Mushroom and Swiss Chard Quesadillas

First recipe of the year – let’s make it a good one, shall we? Scratch that – a GREAT one. Honestly guys, I feel like a bit of a criminal for making these literally months ago, making them multiple times since, and waiting until now to share them with you! There is so much to love about these. The mushroom and chard filling is meatless (yay!) but packed full of flavor and so satisfying and, well, filling, as filling should by definition be. The whole recipe is pretty simple and quick to make – weeknight worthy for their simplicity, in my opinion. And of course there is the undeniable fact that quesadillas of any kind are primarily a vehicle for delivering sour cream to my mouth, am I right? Just me?

While all of that is wonderful, my favorite thing about this recipe is the cooking method. I make quesadillas often but I usually make them in a skillet one at a time. This oven baking method is killer! They are evenly browned, perfectly melty, and you get the benefit of inactive time while they bake to clean the kitchen, down a margarita, sit and hear your thoughts, etc. etc. (I would recommend a blood orange margarita, if you’re wondering.) I hope you love these as much as we do! They were an instant family favorite in our house, for sure!

Yield about 4 servings

Ingredients

¼ cup vegetable oil, divided
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 lb. white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. coriander
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 lb. Swiss chard, stemmed and sliced into -inch strips
1 tsp. cider vinegar
8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas

Directions

01
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat to 450˚ F. Line a baking sheet with foil and brush with 1 tablespoon of the oil. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and mushrooms to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid, 8-10 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are well browned, 8-10 minutes more.
02
Stir in the garlic, coriander and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chard, cover, and cook until wilted but bright green, about 2 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring often, until the liquid evaporates, 4-6 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the vinegar. Let cool slightly, then stir in the Monterey Jack and cilantro.
03
Lay the tortillas out on a work surface. Spread vegetable filling over half of each tortilla, leaving a thin border around the edge. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling and press down firmly to compact. Arrange the quesadillas in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.
04
Bake until the quesadillas begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Flip and continue to bake until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes more. Let cool a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Source

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