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Cheeseburger Quesadillas

Cheeseburger Quesadillas

These cheeseburger quesadillas are crispy tortillas filled with melty shredded cheddar, seasoned ground beef, and optional dill pickle chips for a classic cheeseburger bite. Ready in about 30 minutes, they make a quick weeknight dinner served with wedge salads drizzled with a tangy special sauce.
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Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:25 minutes
Total Time:30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Keyword: cheeseburger, quesadilla

Equipment

  • large skillet
  • small bowl

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons pickle juice
  • 1 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound ground beef see note 1
  • 4 flour tortillas 8-inch
  • 4 cups cheddar cheese shredded
  • 24 dill pickle chips optional (see note 2)
  • 1 head Iceberg lettuce cored and cut into 4 wedges (see note 3)
  • 8 cherry tomatoes quartered
  • 1 shallot finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Make the special sauce: in a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons pickle juice, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Set aside.
  2. Cook the beef: in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook 1 pound ground beef until browned and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.
  3. Wipe out the skillet, coat with nonstick spray, and heat over medium. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, add a tortilla to the skillet. On half of the tortilla add 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese and 1/4 of the cooked beef, and top with dill pickle chips if using.
  4. Sprinkle the top half with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, fold the tortilla in half, and cook until the cheese is melted and the bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
  5. Flip the quesadilla and continue cooking until the second side is golden brown and the cheese is fully melted. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, beef, and pickles. Cut each quesadilla in half and stack 2 halves on each of 4 plates.
  6. Assemble the wedge salads: add one cored wedge of Iceberg lettuce to each plate and top with the finely chopped shallot and quartered cherry tomatoes. Drizzle the quesadillas and salads with the special sauce and serve extra sauce on the side if desired.

Notes

Ground beef:I prefer 80/20 ground beef rather than a leaner variety for more flavor. To keep your quesadillas from being too greasy, drain the cooked ground beef crumbles on a plate lined with paper towels or in a colander.
Pickle chips:These are optional, so feel free to omit if you’re not a pickle fan. My family loves them for the complete cheeseburger experience (Claussen Kosher Dill Pickle Chips are my favorite, and I always serve more on the side).
Iceberg lettuce:Another mild leafy green such as romaine, Bibb, Boston, leaf, or little gem would also work well.
Yield:This recipe makes 4 (1/4-pound) burger-stuffed, single-tortilla quesadillas and 4 wedge salads.
Storage:Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Make ahead:The special sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead.
Double up on Special Sauce:I always make a double batch to use as a condiment for other salads and sandwiches throughout the week. Try it on areuben, aMaid-Rite sandwich, or thiseasy garden salad.