Description
Celebrate Halloween with these fun and festive Easy Jack-o’-Lantern Quesadillas. Featuring tortillas cut with spooky pumpkin faces, these quesadillas can be made savory with a blend of cheeses and optional protein or veggies, or sweet with pumpkin purée, honey, and cinnamon. Perfect as a playful snack or meal for kids and adults alike, they come alive with crispy textures and delightful melted fillings, served with your favorite dips.
Ingredients
Scale
For Savory Quesadillas
- 4 tortillas (flour, whole wheat, or any preferred kind)
- 1 to 1 ½ cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a blend)
- Optional protein: grilled chicken or black beans (about ½ cup)
- Optional veggies: diced bell peppers, onions, or spinach (¼ cup)
For Sweet Pumpkin Quesadillas
- 4 tortillas (flour, whole wheat, or any preferred kind)
- ½ cup pumpkin purée
- 1 to 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Optional: maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Cut Jack-o’-Lantern Faces: Using a sharp knife, carefully cut out jack-o’-lantern faces into half of the tortillas to create the tops of your quesadillas. Remove the cutout pieces and set these face tortillas aside.
- Prepare Fillings: On the remaining tortillas, evenly spread your chosen filling. For savory, sprinkle shredded cheese and add optional protein or veggies. For sweet, spread pumpkin purée, drizzle honey, and sprinkle ground cinnamon.
- Cook Jack-o’-Lantern Tortillas: Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Place one jack-o’-lantern face tortilla in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until warmed through and slightly crispy. Remove and set aside.
- Cook Filled Tortilla: In the same pan, place a filled tortilla and cook for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts or the filling warms thoroughly.
- Assemble Quesadilla: Carefully place the jack-o’-lantern face tortilla on top of the filled tortilla. Continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes to brown the bottom tortilla. Do not flip once topped to prevent spilling the filling.
- Serve: Slide the assembled quesadilla onto a plate. Serve with dips like guacamole, salsa, or sour cream for savory versions, or maple syrup for the sweet pumpkin option. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Classic Cheese: Use a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese to make the pumpkin face stand out and ensure gooey filling.
- Protein Power: Add grilled chicken or black beans for a more filling savory quesadilla using cheese as the binder.
- Veggie Delight: Incorporate diced bell peppers, onions, or spinach for extra nutrition and color.
- Spooky Salsa: Serve with fresh chunky tomato salsa or guacamole for added flavor and zest.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 quesadilla
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
