Corned Beef and Spinach Quesadillas
For those of you with leftover corned beef, you might want to try making corned beef quesadillas. You could use a number of fillings, including perhaps, a Reuben quesadilla.
I used a combination of cheese, corned beef, caramelized onion and spinach. It came out so tasty.
The quesadilla make a great lunch dish- maybe served with a salad. You can also serve them as appetizers or a fun snack.
Make sure any fillings are not too wet- they will cause the tortilla to be soggy, instead of crisp. I like to cook most of my veggies first, to wilt them down and remove some moisture. I also drain any veggies that are really wet.
Cheese can be sliced thin, or shredded. Corned beef should also be in thin slices or shredded.
You have options for how you want to cook your quesadillas. You can cook in a little oil, in a skillet, cooking until golden brown on both sides. You can brush them with oil and bake in the oven. You can also grill them. The important thing is to get them crisp. No microwave cooking for this recipe.
Don’t be afraid to be a little creative. You can serve them as is, or with a dipping sauce on the side.
Corned Beef Quesadillas
4 large flour tortillas- 8-inch or larger
8 oz. corned beef, sliced thin or shredded
1½ c. shredded cheese or 6 oz. sliced cheese- I used sharp cheddar
12 oz. fresh spinach, cooked down in a little oil or 10 oz. box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 sweet pepper, seeded and diced
2 medium onions, sliced thin and cooked in oil or butter until wilted down and golden- season with salt and pepper
Whole grain mustard, optional
Mayo- mustard
Oil for frying or brushing the tortilla before grilling
Get all your ingredients prepped before starting. If baking in the oven- have oven preheated to 425 degrees. Place tortilla on a work surface and brush with mustard and mayo, if you are using them. Place 2 oz. of corned beef on the tortilla. Keep all the ingredients on one half of the tortilla, since you will be folding it in half. The mayo and mustard can be spread over the whole tortilla. Top the corned beef with ¼ of the cheese, spinach, pepper and onions. Fold in half, set aside. Repeat with remaining ingredients. You will have 4 tortillas, filled and folded in half. Cook one of several different ways. I heated a skillet, added oil, and cooked the quesadillas until golden brown on both sides. You can place them on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until crisp and golden. You can also brush the outsides of the quesadillas with a little oil and grill, turning until golden on both sides. Cut in wedges to serve. Makes 4.
Corned Beef on Rye Salad
If you have leftover corned beef, you might want to try using it in a salad. This recipe came about when I had some corned beef that I was planning on using in a sandwich. But I was more in the mood for a salad. Since I also had some lovely salad greens, I decided to combine them in one dish.
The end result was very tasty.
I prepped my greens, then topped them with the corned beef and Swiss cheese. I made croutons out of the rye bread and dressed the salad with homemade thousand island dressing. A nice Russian dressing would have worked, too. Perhaps, even a simple oil and vinegar dressing. The thousand island dressing made it like a Reuben sandwich, minus the sauerkraut.
Corned Beef on Rye Salad
6-8 c. mixed salad greens, washed and dried off
6 oz. corned beef, cut in bite sized pieces
4 oz. cubed Swiss cheese
2 slices rye bread, toasted and cubed
4 T. Thousand island dressing- recipe follows
Place greens in a bowl. Top with the meat, cheese, rye bread and drizzle with the dressing. Serves 2.
Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
Combine equal amounts of mayo, ketchup and sweet pickle relish. Stir to combine. I like to add capers sometimes, too. Store unused portion in the fridge.
Corned Beef Quesadillas
For those of you with leftover corned beef, you might want to try making corned beef quesadillas. You could use a number of fillings, including perhaps, a Reuben quesadilla.
I used a combination of cheese, corned beef, caramelized onion and spinach. It came out so tasty.
The quesadilla make a great lunch dish- maybe served with a salad. You can also serve them as appetizers or a fun snack.
Make sure any fillings are not too wet- they will cause the tortilla to be soggy, instead of crisp. I like to cook most of my veggies first, to wilt them down and remove some moisture. I also drain any veggies that are really wet.
Cheese can be sliced thin, or shredded. Corned beef should also be in thin slices or shredded.
You have options for how you want to cook your quesadillas. You can cook in a little oil, in a skillet, cooking until golden brown on both sides. You can brush them with oil and bake in the oven. You can also grill them. The important thing is to get them crisp. No microwave cooking for this recipe.
Don’t be afraid to be a little creative. You can serve them as is, or with a dipping sauce on the side.
Corned Beef Quesadillas
4 large flour tortillas- 8-inch or larger
8 oz. corned beef, sliced thin or shredded
1½ c. shredded cheese or 6 oz. sliced cheese- I used sharp cheddar
12 oz. fresh spinach, cooked down in a little oil or 10 oz. box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 sweet pepper, seeded and diced
2 medium onions, sliced thin and cooked in oil or butter until wilted down and golden- season with salt and pepper
Whole grain mustard, optional
Mayo- mustard
Oil for frying or brushing the tortilla before grilling
Get all your ingredients prepped before starting. If baking in the oven- have oven preheated to 425 degrees. Place tortilla on a work surface and brush with mustard and mayo, if you are using them. Place 2 oz. of corned beef on the tortilla. Keep all the ingredients on one half of the tortilla, since you will be folding it in half. The mayo and mustard can be spread over the whole tortilla. Top the corned beef with ¼ of the cheese, spinach, pepper and onions. Fold in half, set aside. Repeat with remaining ingredients. You will have 4 tortillas, filled and folded in half. Cook one of several different ways. I heated a skillet, added oil, and cooked the quesadillas until golden brown on both sides. You can place them on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until crisp and golden. You can also brush the outsides of the quesadillas with a little oil and grill, turning until golden on both sides. Cut in wedges to serve. Makes 4.
