Leftover Fajita Quesadillas

Typically, when I make fajitas, we end up with a lot of leftovers.  I usually have to buy about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of flank steak, which is more than my husband and I will eat!  We usually have fajitas again for lunch, but after one round of leftovers, it’s nice to have something different.  So, I take the leftovers and turn them into fajita quesadillas!  If you don’t have leftover fajitas, you could saute some steak or chicken with some sliced peppers and onions prior to making the quesadillas.

A while ago, my husband and I were given a quesadilla maker – almost like a waffle maker, but large and round and divided up into 6 wedges.  I am not a big fan of kitchen appliances, though – especially those that are difficult to clean.  So, the quesadilla maker has lived in my garage for a few years and will hopefully have a new home after our community yard sale that is coming up.

Instead of the quesadilla maker, I use my grill pan and panini press to make quesadillas. Not only is it easy to store in my cabinet with all of my pots and pans, it is also fully submersible, and super easy to clean! The panini press ensures that I get nice, flat quesadillas, and the grill pan makes grill lines that look pretty – you can’t beat it!  If you have an electronic panini press or a George Foreman grill, those would work well, too.

Ingredients:

(Note – I’m not really including measurements in my ingredients… you can adjust the amounts based on the amount of leftovers you have)

  • Leftover steak fajitas
  • Equal parts of cheddar and monterey jack cheese, shredded
  • Flour tortillas
  • Extra virgin olive oil (or cooking spray, if you prefer)
  • Salsa
  • Light Sour Cream

Directions:

Cut the leftover fajitas into small bite size pieces and set aside.

Preheat a grill pan over medium heat (or preheat your George Foreman grill or panini press according to the directions).  Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil.

Place a tortilla on the grill pan and sprinkle half of it with cheese.  Spread some of the chopped fajitas over the cheese.  Fold the tortilla in half and place the panini press on top.  I used burrito sized tortillas.  If you are using smaller tortillas, it may be easier to use two tortillas instead of folding one in half.  Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board and cut into wedges.  Serve with your favorite salsa and sour cream.

5 comments

  1. jenn says:

    Nice use of leftovers. Quesadillas are always a crowd pleasure. Beats going out to Taco Bell or some other place.

  2. Carole says:

    It’s always good to come up with a way to use leftovers. Especailly a way that reinvents them or disguises them.

    Great idea to use a panini press!

  3. Reeni says:

    They look yummy!!!!!

  4. Amy says:

    Great use of leftovers!

Comments are closed.

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