Pizza Quesadillas – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Cheesy, saucy, pizza quesadillas are as flavorful as you imagine they might be. They’re a messy, super fun, lightning-fast way to satisfy your next pizza craving.

Pizza Quesadilla

I am not sure there is a more craveable combination than pizza and quesadillas. Cheesy, buttery, crispy, salty I could go on and on. Sometimes these are a meal at our house. Other times just a snack or late-night kitchen raid.

That being said I like to think I have perfected my quesadilla-making and have a few secrets. First butter the tortilla, don’t just melt butter in the skillet. Fully cover both tortillas with butter on one side.

Second the layers. As you assemble the quesadilla you want two layers of cheese, one against each tortilla. Start with a buttered side-down tortilla then cheese, toppings another layer of cheese, and finally a tortilla, buttered side up. All that cheese on both sides will keep everything melted together.

When cutting up toppings for inside, like pepperoni cut them in half. Those little guys get HOT quickly in all that cheese and sauce.

Nothing will make you drop your quesadilla jump faster than when a bite pulls out a piece of hot pepperoni and it slaps your chin with hot cheese and sauce. Trust me, I have done it!

I cut my pepperoni in half and if I add other meats and vegetables I always make sure they are bite-sized. Don’t worry the melted cheese will hold it all in there.

Speaking of other toppings if it goes on a pizza you can tuck it into these quesadillas. I love adding a few olives and banana peppers to mine while the kids are all about all the meat.

How to Cut a Quesadilla

Cutting a hot quesadilla into manageable pieces is super simple with a pizza cutter or large knife. Just transfer the pizza quesadilla to a cutting board and run a wheel pizza cutter over it.

Or take your large chef’s knife and rock across it in one swift motion to cut it. Avoid sawing back and forth or it can shred and just becomes a mess.

Quesadilla Pizza

You’ll need these ingredients to make these pizza-inspired quesadillas:

• flour tortillas
• butter
• shredded mozzarella cheese divided
• pizza sauce
• pepperoni sliced in half
• fresh basil leaves sliced thin OPTIONAL

Pizza Quesadilla Recipe

1. Preheat a large non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Lightly butter one side of two tortillas with about ½ a teaspoon of butter and place one butter side down in the hot pan.
2. Top with ⅓ cup of cheese, 2 tablespoons of pizza sauce, pepperoni, and basil. Top with the remaining cheese and cover with the second tortilla, butter side up.
3. Let the quesadilla cook for 2-3 minutes. When the cheese has begun to melt and the bottom tortilla is browning slightly, carefully flip the quesadilla over. Continue to cook until all the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crisp around the edges.
4. Using the spatula, transfer the quesadilla back to a cutting board and cut it into wedges while still hot. Serve warm.

Quesadilla Recipes

I have yet to find a quesadilla combination that didn’t work. From just cheese to vegetables and any kind of meat I have on hand, it just works, every time.

Crisp tortillas filled with saucy bbq chicken and melting cheese add up to these BBQ Chicken Quesadillas. They are a little bit spicy, awesomely cheesy, and they are a very popular lunch in our house.

Loaded Vegetable Quesadillas start with warm crisp tortillas layered with melting cheese and then filled with an abundance of vegetables. They’re absolutely irresistible for snacking or for a meal on their own.

Crisp warm tortillas filled with melted cheese are made even better when you add a handful of mushrooms for a savory mushroom quesadilla.