Calzonedilla Italian Quesadilla Recipes

ITALIAN QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sugar, and cook until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Season the onions, to taste, with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Sprinkle some Fontina over half of a tortilla. Arrange some bell peppers and sauteed onions on top of the Fontina. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and Parmesan. Sprinkle more Fontina over. Fold the clean half over the filling to cover and press gently to seal. Repeat with remaining tortillas evenly dividing the filling ingredients.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil on a heavy large griddle over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the quesadillas until the cheese melts and the tortillas are golden brown, adding more oil as needed, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the quesadillas to baking sheets and keep them warm in the oven while cooking the remaining quesadillas.
• Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Arrange them on a platter. Garnish the platter with parsley sprigs and serve.

CALZONEDILLA (ITALIAN QUESADILLA)

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet on medium-high.
• Add olive oil.
• When skillet is heated, put tortilla in pan (make sure to move tortilla around in pan to spread out oil, if it stays in one place).
• Add mozzarella cheese, then herbs, spices and optional ingredients to one half of tortilla.
• Fold tortilla over onto ingredients.
• Use a lid from a large pot or skillet to cover (helps to melt cheese faster).
• Cook for about 30-45 seconds, or until tortilla starts to get light brown spots.
• Flip tortilla, cover and cook for an additional 30-45 seconds, also until light brown spots.
• Serve hot.

THE GREATEST QUESADILLA

Steps:

• Toss together the Cheddar, Monterey Jack and pepper jack in a bowl; set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in large skillet over medium heat. Place a single tortilla in the skillet. Sprinkle a little less than a third of the cheese blend over the tortilla. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add about a third of the diced tomato and a third of the chiles. Sprinkle a touch more cheese over the whole thing and gently top and press with a second tortilla. Cook until golden on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
• Carefully flip the quesadilla to the other side. Continue cooking until the second side is golden, 3 to 4 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Slice each quesadilla into wedges and garnish with cilantro sprigs.

ITALIAN QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl combine the tomatoes, basil, olive oil and season to taste with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
• In a mixing bowl combine the mozzarella cheese, ricotta, green onion, olives and artichoke hearts; season with salt and crushed red pepper flakes.
• Spread some mixture on one half of each tortillas, leaving about 1/4-inch between the filling and the edge of the tortilla. Fold each tortilla in half. Fry the tortillas in a little bit of vegetable oil for about a minute a side until golden and cheese has melted; keep warm in low oven until ready to serve. Top with tomatoes and basil and pine nuts.
• Alternate way to do is to preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread stuffing over entire surface of tortillas without folding them. Set them on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted. Fold over and serve with topping.
• Especially good for children: set aside some plain mozzarella mixed with ricotta and fill the kids tortillas with this rather than the more elaborate filling.

ITALIAN QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• 1. Assemble: Spread about 1 Tablespoon of the pesto on one side of each tortilla. On four tortillas, place the cheese: 2 slices mozzarella and 1 slice provolone for each. Tear the slices in half so you can spread the cheese evenly over tortilla. Place the other 4 tortillas, pesto side down, on top of the cheese and press.
• 2. Cook: Heat a little olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium to medium high heat. Cook each quesadilla about 2-3 minutes per side, or until cheese is melted really well. Cut each into quarters and serve with the marinara sauce for dipping. Enjoy!! * I used Pesto Rosso, which is made with basil, sundried tomatoes, and Grana Padano cheese, but regular pesto would also be great with this.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE QUESADILLAS (OAMC)

Steps:

• Brown sausage.
• Divide sausage evenly between 18 tortillas, sprinkle with Parmesan, Italian cheese, and roasted red peppers.
• Heat butter or oil on griddle, brown both sides of quesadilla.
• Quesadillas can be eaten immediately, or frozen in ziploc bag and warmed in microwave as needed.

CRISPY-EDGED QUESADILLA

Steps:

• Place a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, then add the oil. Let oil heat up for 20 seconds, swirling the pan around so the oil coats the bottom.
• Place the tortilla in the skillet and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Once the cheese begins to melt, 30 seconds to 1 minute, use a spatula to fold the tortilla in half. Using the spatula, press down firmly on the top of the tortilla until some of the cheese runs out into the pan. Let the quesadilla cook until the cheese that's leaked out solidifies and turns brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Flip the quesadilla over and let cook on the other side for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese is crisp and golden. Slide quesadilla onto a plate and serve immediately.