Easy Baked Quesadilla

Children and adults alike love oven-baked quesadillas because they are quick to make and yummy to eat. There are so many ways you can create your quesadillas, and the kids can help you assemble them since there is no hot stove top to worry about. You don't need a second set of hands to make this meal but it makes for a great way to encourage your kids to cook with you in the kitchen.

You missed your kids so much during the day having the family cook together is a great way to bond with the kids. This recipe is not hard to follow and guarantees a delicious meal the kids will be proud to say they helped make. Here's how to bring the kids into the kitchen

Shrimp Quesadilla Recipe

Pick Out the Ingredients Together

While you are lining the cookie sheet with tin foil and finding the cooking spray have your child choose the ingredients. You can choose to make the quesadillas plain, which means just cheese and the tortillas, or you can add protein and vegetables.

For proteins you can use:

• Chicken, either cooked in a Mexican spice over the weekend so it's easy to chop up and cook on a weeknight, or pick up a cooked rotisserie chicken from your local deli on the way home. 
• Ground up beef
• Strips of pork or pulled pork
• Steak
• Shrimp
• Black beans (mash up half of the beans and then add the rest)
• Scrambled eggs

For vegetables, you can choose to saute them in a little bit of oil to make them a bit soft, or just throw them in raw. This decision can be made based on how hungry your crew is. You can add:

• Onions (caramelized or sautéed) or red onion
• Jalapeños
• Tomatoes
• Cilantro
• Green or red peppers
• Spinach
• Avocados
• Corn
• Sautéed mushrooms

For toppings, you can use guacamole, salsa, sour cream, Greek yogurt, lettuce, green onions, bacon bits, cilantro, or pico de gallo. For the cheese, this can be personal preference. If you want to keep the dish Mexican combine Monterey Jack and cheddar. 

If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, you can pick up gluten-free tortillas and make your own spicy shredded cheese combo. Shred your own cheese combo, great arm workout for the kids, and then you can add the spices such as cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or chili powder.