Crunch Wrap Quesadilla with Beef + Pinto Beans
Why we love it:
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning (see substitutions to make your own!)
- 1 cup Broccoli (just the florets, optional if you don’t have some on hand)
- 1⁄4 teaspoon Kosher Salt (to taste, depends on the saltiness of your taco seasoning)
- 1 15-ounce can Pinto Beans (drained)
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese (or mexican blend, or monterey jack - shredded)
- 1 Roma Tomato (small dice)
- 1 head Romaine Lettuce
- 6 Flour Tortillass (12-inch / to make 6 wraps)
- 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil (for frying)
- 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter (optional, for frying)
Cooking Instructions
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1. HEAT THE OVEN TO 350 DEGREES
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2. BEEF
Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until fully browned, about 5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks. Add taco seasoning.
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3. BROCCOLI
Use some of the leftover florets from the soup - chop into small pieces and place on a baking sheet. Add a pinch of salt and roast for about 3-4 minutes or until bright green and tender. Remove and set aside for wrapping.
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4. BEANS
Open and drain the can. Empty the beans into a large bowl and mash them well with a fork or potato masher. If preferred, you can do this in a bullet-style blender to make them very smooth.
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5. TOPPINGS
Grate the cheese. Dice the tomato. Shred the lettuce into thin ribbons. Make sure lettuce is clean and dry.
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6. LAYER
Heat the tortillas in the oven for about 30-45 seconds to make them pliable. Place 2 at a time on a work surface for easy layering.
In the center of the wrap spoon about 1/6th of the beans into a 6 inch diameter circle. VERY IMPORTANT - be sure to leave a large rim for folding - you need 3 inches with no filling on it all around. This means the center filled part will look too small at first. More is not more here, it will make a mess.
Top with beef. Then tomatoes, then broccoli. Next is lettuce - this is the only thing that won’t be used up completely just add a few Tablespoons. The last layer is cheese.
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7. FOLD
Start at the top (12 o’clock), and fold down to the center. Be firm but gentle and help crease the tortilla edge. Move to 2 o’clock and fold it in. Now move to 4 o’clock and fold in, but make sure the flap that meets the 2pm fold goes OVER. When you fold at 6pm, the flap between 4 and 6 now goes under. Check out the photo if you’re unclear.
(Another way to say it: the left side of each fold will sit on top. The right side of that same fold will go underneath the next section’s fold). It makes a neat spiral all the way around. When you get to the last flap, you can maneuver the left side of the 12pm flap up, essentially tucking the final fold in.
IF YOU HATE ME RIGHT NOW
Please don’t worry! Fold all of the flaps in flat and let them lay however feels natural. They will still stay in place when they sear, and it will taste the same. The important part is not to overstuff and make sure the edges meet in the center. -
8. SEARING
After you have 2 folded, transfer them to a baking sheet or a plate. Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add about 1 teaspoon of oil (and a dot of butter if using) and when it’s hot, place the tortilla folded side down. Let it cook for about 3-4 minutes. After that, it will be quite easy to flip with a spatula since the edges are crispy in place.
Cook the second side for 2-3 minutes. Remove to a baking sheet and keep in the oven while you sear the rest.
To make this go faster - use 2 sauté pans at the same time. Or, break out your electric skillet (or a griddle pan for the stove top) and you can probably cook 4 at the same time.
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9. REPEAT
Fold the rest and sear.
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10. SERVING
Slice in half or in quarters. Take the Instagram photo because these are so fun when you cut them in half! Serve on a bed of the extra lettuce.
Leftovers can be kept in tupperware and reheated in the toaster oven.