31 Days:: Produce Drawer Quesadillas

[This recipe was first posted in conjunction with the Meijer ad week of 10/7/12 - 10/13/12.  It's also part of 31 Days of Saving Money in the Kitchen.]

This delicious version of quesadillas was created one night when I emptied out my vegetable drawer.  I had little bit of a lot of different things...so that was what went into the quesadillas.  Making quesadillas is a great way to use up bits and pieces of vegetables (or other leftovers) before they go bad.   For that reason, I'm including this recipe as part of 31 Days of Saving Money in the Kitchen.  Oh, and it just so happens that the ingredients I used in our quesadillas are on sale at Meijer this week :)  We loved this combination of vegetables, but feel free to customize it and use whatever you have in your produce drawer!

Ingredients:
6 large or 12 small pieces of turkey deli meat, torn into 2 inch pieces
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 C chopped/diced/sliced fresh mushrooms
1 C leftover cooked corn
1 C diced tomatoes OR diced red pepper (or use half and half)
3/4 C baby spinach leaves (or use regular spinach leaves, but remove the stem and tear up into smaller pieces)
6 large (burrito-sized) tortillas
margarine, butter, or non-stick cooking spray
Sauce:
1/2 C mayonnaise
1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard.

Directions:
Prepare sauce by mixing the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard.  Refrigerate until serving.  Prepare quesadillas:  Spread margarine or butter on 3 tortillas, or spray with cooking spray.  Place each tortilla buttered side down on a skillet, electric frying pan, or griddle.  Spread 1/3 C of shredded cheese on each tortilla.  Arrange deli meat over cheese.  Layer 1/3 C each of mushrooms, corn, and tomatoes on each tortilla.  Top each tortilla with 1/4 C spinach leaves and 1/3 C shredded cheese.  Spread remaining 3 tortillas with butter or margarine (or spray with cooking spray), and place buttered side up on top of quesadillas.  Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until bottom is crispy to your liking.  Flip quesadilla using a large pancake flipper/spatula.  Cook 3-5 minutes, and remove to a plate.  Use a kitchen scissors or very sharp knife to cut each tortilla stack into 4 quesadillas.  Serve with dipping sauce/spread.  Makes 12 triangles.  Serves 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 kids. 

Options and Tips:

• Measurements are approximate.  We like lots of "stuff" in our quesadillas, but maybe you like more cheese and less veggies.  Adjust the measurements to your taste/preference.
• I usually increase the ingredient measurements slightly so that I can make 4 quesadilla rounds.  If you need that many for your family, you can either cook 2 at a time in an electric frying pan or on a griddle, or you can get out multiple pans and appliances and have them all finished at the same time.
• Flipping quesadillas can be scary!  Layering the cheese twice (on the top and bottom of the veggies) helps "glue" the quesadilla halves together as the cheese melts.  In spite of this little trick, you'll still probably lose some veggie pieces when you flip it.  Use your largest pancake flipper, and don't be afraid to get your fingers dirty...it helps if you place your hand/fingers on top of the quesadilla as you're flipping it.
• Change out the turkey deli meat for cooked, diced chicken breast...or any sort of leftover meat you have in your fridge!

This is an original recipe.

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