Cremini Quesadillas with Chipotle Remoulade
There’s something magical about warm summer nights with dinner under the stars. And when dinner can be cooked on the grill and involves minimal prep work—all the better! I mean, I love to cook. But I become so unmotivated to do anything that involves a lot of effort when the days are long and filled with so much sunshine. It just feels like I have better things to do than stand over a stove or heat a hot oven. That’s where these Cremini Quesadillas come in.
My parents started making these years ago (like, at least 15 years ago) and I still love them. My mouth actually starts to salivate at the thought of them. And when Brian and I want a light dinner, this is our go to.
These quesadillas are rubbed with garlic-infused olive oil and stuffed with sautéed cremini mushrooms, fresh baby spinach, grated smoked gouda(!), and chopped cherry tomatoes. And as you may have surmised, they’re cooked outside on the grill! Honestly, they’re so simple to throw together and the smoked gouda binds the flavors of the fresh tomatoes and spinach with the sautéed mushrooms.
Instead of serving the quesadillas with salsa, I make the BEST EVER sauce for dipping. It’s a chipotle remoulade that is so delicious I have the urge to serve it with everything (crab cakes, burgers, fries—you get the idea). To be honest, the remoulade is so good that I might be burying the lede. Maybe I should have called this post “The Ultimate Chipotle Remoulade with Some Other Things On the Side.” I don’t know, it doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. But it’s pretty accurate. Also, I forgot to take a picture of the remoulade. It’s bright orange in color, and tastes smoky, spicy, and garlicky. You’re just going to have to trust me here. It’s awesome and super easy.
Anyway, sorry for the digression. Let’s raise a glass (of chilled rosé) to many more summer nights with easy dinners under the stars.
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Cremini Quesadillas with Chipotle Remoulade
—recipe adapted from Cuisine
Yield: 4 large quesadillas
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Quesadilla Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, smashed
¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
2 8-ounce packages cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 large tortilla shells (I like to use sun-dried tomato wraps)
1 5-ounce package baby spinach
1 cup smoked gouda, grated
1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
Chipotle Remoulade Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
½ cup scallions, (white and green parts) sliced
1⁄4 cup parsley, chopped1-2 canned chipotle peppers (depends on how spicy you like it!)
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from canned chipotles
salt
pepper
Remoulade Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Seriously! That’s it.
Quesadilla Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium pan, then add mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté mushrooms until soft, 6-8 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Pour ¼ cup olive oil into a small bowl, then add crushed garlic. Heat the grill to medium. Brush olive oil on one side of each tortilla, then place the tortillas oil-side down on the grill. Immediately line the tortillas with gouda, tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach. (It’s easiest to line just one half of the tortilla so you can close the tortilla by folding it.) Allow the baby spinach to wilt and the cheese to melt.
Serve immediately with chipotle remoulade drizzled over the top.
