September is one of the busiest times of the year on campus, and it is when the leaves begin to change colour. For this withering month, I will introduce a quick comfort food that is great as a light meal or a late-night snack shared with your friends. It is a savoury quesadilla with a spinach artichoke filling inside, and this menu brings an unfailing combination that has been a longtime favourite for decades. The spinach artichoke mashup creates a creamy texture and a rich, savoury flavour, while the crispy tortilla holds everything together, making it portable and shareable. If you are looking for a melty, filling snack that is not greasy, you will enjoy this spinach artichoke quesadilla recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of cream cheese (1 block)
- ¾ cup of shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- Pinches of salt and pepper
- 1 ½ cups of spinach
- 1 can of artichoke hearts
- 4 large tortillas
Tools:
- Pot
- Frying pan
- Spatula
- Mixing spoon
Yields 4 quesadillas
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Instructions:
- Chop your spinach, drained artichoke hearts, and cream cheese into smaller pieces.
- In a pot, add olive oil and minced garlic until it sizzles on medium heat. Then add the chopped spinach one handful at a time and mix with a mixing spoon until it wilts down.
- Season the spinach with a few pinches of salt and pepper as you go, add in the artichoke hearts to the pot, and mix well for 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat off, add in chopped cream cheese and sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, then mix until everything is melted and well combined.
- In a frying pan on medium heat, place down a large tortilla, spread shredded mozzarella, and add the spinach artichoke on half of the tortilla so that you can fold it.
- With a spatula, flip the tortilla to cook both sides until the inside is melted and the outside is golden and crispy. Then turn off the heat, cut the tortilla into a desirable size, and enjoy!
Side note:
You can also make variations of the recipe and make a classic spinach artichoke dip by skipping the tortilla-making step. Instead of steps 5 and 6, you can add in the cheese along with other cream ingredients, top off with more mozzarella on top of the dip, and broil the dip inside the oven for a few minutes. There, you have a nice spinach artichoke dip that is perfect with tortilla chips or crusty breads!
