Quesadillas to the Rescue...

When I first started working, lunch was a huge deal for me. It was the highlight of an otherwise tedious or hectic day, and I always ordered out…sushi one day, Caribbean or Thai the next. In hindsight, I see this was so silly. Back then, I think I would spend over $200 on lunch every month! And that’s not including my regular grocery expenses. If I could go back in time and kick myself I would!

There was a small café about a block from my office that made these deliciously huge quesadillas. I used to pay about $7 for them, and of course that’s not including my drink…plus, they charged for extra salsa, sour cream, etc...

Thankfully, I woke up and realized how ridiculous this was. For about another $7, I could make my own batch of quesadillas to last for the whole week! ...And so started my brown bagging routine…

Here is the recipe for one of my favorite lunchtime quesadillas (modeled after the ridiculously high priced one).

They take about 20 minutes…

Bacon & Sweet Pea Quesadilla
Makes two 8-inch quesadillas

4 8-inch flour tortillas
Olive or canola oil
¼ onion diced
½ cup diced bacon, smoked turkey, or ham
½ tsp chili powder or mexican seasoning
¼ tsp cumin
4 tbsp fresh or frozen sweet green peas
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small tomato, de-seeded & diced
Small handful baby spinach leaves (optional)
1 cup grated monterey/cheddar/or mix

Add a bit of oil to a small frying pan, sauté the onions over medium-high heat until translucent.

Toss in the diced meat and seasoning, and continue to sauté until the meat is cooked through. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the peas. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Next, warm a cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Take the first tortilla and warm it on the grill for about 5 seconds each side. Sprinkle ¼ cup of cheese on the tortilla, being careful to leave about a ½ inch border. Try to maintain this border when adding the rest of your ingredients.

Then, layer on half the meat/pea mixture, some chopped tomato, spinach if using, and another ¼ cup of cheese.

Top off with the second the tortilla, press down lightly with a spatula and flip. Each side should cook for around 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Cool slightly then cut into wedges.


I usually pack some sour cream, salsa or guacamole to go with the quesadillas.

With a small salad and some fruit, this is a complete and filling lunch, and you won’t feel like you’re throwing money away.

It’s hard to get bored with these because you can easily switch out ingredients to suit your mood/taste for the moment. Flour tortillas come in so many different flavors...so the sky’s the limit!

Here are some other variations that I’ve tried in the past:
Italian style:
Salami, mozzarella, spinach, red pepper

Vegetarian:
Black beans, cilantro, cheddar
Caramelized onion with muenster cheese and avocado

Have fun!