Quesadillas…the crunchy outer shell, gooey & melty cheese, yum yum! I love quesadillas, but sometimes I crave a meatless option, and I want something more filling than just cheese. Enter Veggie Lentil & Rice Quesadillas!
To make the quesadillas, you cook the rice and lentils together, add some spices & tomatoes, then layer the quesadillas with corn, onions, peppers, avocado, spinach, and cheese! Can’t forget about the cheese. You can use whatever cheese you love. Make it authentic and use Mexican cheese or use cheddar or pepper jack. I used pepper jack and I’d highly recommend it – the very slight heat was a great addition. I personally think gouda cheese would also be a great option. And, if you have the time, grilling the vegetables makes everything that much better!
The best thing about these lentil quesadillas? 99% of the time I have everything in my pantry to make these. That means, when the quesadilla cravings hit I can make these without running to the store first! I really don’t make quesadillas often, but that might change now! I think we all have a basic recipe we make when we’re pressed for time. Mine is usually some random veggies with pasta. I learned from the best…whenever my dad cooks dinner you can bet it’s gonna be pasta with a red sauce.
Before serving these make sure to get all the extra toppings ready! I used salsa, jalapenos, radishes, and sour cream.
I’m always looking for more ways to use lentils in my cooking. They are so quick and easy to cook, but sometimes I don’t like the texture of lentils. The lentils are a great boost of fiber and when mixed with the rice, you almost forget they’re in there! Do you have a favorite recipe using lentils?? I’d love to know your favorite.
Veggie, Rice & Lentil Quesadillas
https://northcoasteats.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/lentil.rice-0298.jpg
| Yield: about 5 quesadillas |
Seasoned rice and lentils, vegetables, pepper jack cheese crunchy quesadillas.
You'll Need...
- 1/2 a medium red onion, sliced
- 3/4 cup corn
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup uncooked lentils
- 2 cups uncooked rice
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 10 flour tortilla shells
- 10 ounces cheese, sliced (I like pepper jack)
- 3 cups spinach
- 4 tablespoons butter
- Toppings: salsa, sliced jalapeno, sour cream, avocado
Directions
- Mix onion, corn and bell pepper in a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill or roast vegetables until charred.
- Cook rice & lentils according to package instructions (I cooked them together and followed the directions on the rice package). When finished cooking, add tomatoes, garlic, and all seasonings through salt & pepper.
- Assemble quesadillas: Butter outside of tortilla shells. Layer filling with cheese, rice & lentil mixture, spinach, more cheese, and the other flour tortilla. Cook over medium heat in a large skillet, until gooey and brown. Flip and cook other side. Repeat until all quesadillas are cooked. Let quesadillas cool a few minutes before cutting.
- Serve with any desired toppings.
Additional Notes
images and text © North Coast Eats
adapted from Pinch of Yum
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