OK, who doesn’t love quesadillas? They’re like a tiny, warm little sandwich your mother made for you to eat after school. Yum. Portable, finger-food, dip-able, easy to make.
Did I say yum? Did I say easy?
I’ve got a dozen quesadilla approaches, maybe more. Today I’m sharing with you the crab version. It’s easy, classy and a great appetizer for guests. It can also be a main course for family dinner on Sunday night, served with something clean and fresh on the side like cucumber salad. The delicate taste of the crab is beautifully balanced by the warm crunch of the tortilla and the spice of the condiments. And for all you seafood haters, just substitute chopped or shredded chicken for the crab.
This recipe serves four as a main course or 8-10 as an appetizer.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked lump crabmeat, or two 6 oz. cans, drained
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1 can of green chiles, hot or mild, depending on your taste
- 2 cups of shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided
- 1/3 cup of mayonnaise (I use light mayo)
- 1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped
- 1 tsp Zippy Southwest or other southwest spice mix
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 12 flour tortillas
Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together the crabmeat, green onions, green chiles, 1 cup of the shredded jack cheese, mayonnaise, cilantro and seasoning until completely mixed.
Put olive oil in a small bowl and arrange six tortillas on one or two baking sheets. Using a pastry brush, spread olive oil on one side of the tortillas, then turn them over and top with the crab mixture, dividing it evenly between the six tortillas. Distribute the remaining 1 cup of shredded jack cheese evenly over the crab mixture the tortillas, then top with another tortilla. Spread olive oil on the top tortillas, then put the quesadillas in the oven and set the timer for 7 minutes. Turn over the quesadillas after 7 minutes and check after an additional 3 minutes. The tortillas should be lightly browned.
Cut into quarters and serve hot with sides of your choice: sour cream, Pico de Gallo, guacamole and salsa.
Copyright 2015, Glover Gardens
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