Baked Quesadillas

You’re going to love this simple baked quesadilla recipe! Instead of standing over the stovetop making everyone’s quesadilla one by one, you can cook them all at once. That leaves you more time to do dinner clean-up before you even sit down — or just hang out and scroll on TikTok and sip your La Croix!

Why I love this recipe

I absolutely love these because they are extremely simple and low-prep, and you can let the oven do the cooking! It’s also a great way to feed a whole family (or your kids and a bunch of their friends). And the biggest plus is that this is a super nutritious meal! There are a couple simple ways to make quesadillas more nutrient dense and it will be a crowd-pleaser for kids and parents.

I used to microwave cheese in a tortilla to make a “quesadilla” when I was a kid. So these are nostalgic, but so much tastier than the microwave version!

Baked Quesadillas for Picky Eaters

These baked quesadillas are always popular with my kids! It is so easy to customize these, whether they only want cheese, or if they want a few additional ingredients mixed in. They are gooey and crispy without being fried!

If your little one ONLY likes cheese in their quesadilla and you want to help them branch out, here are my top ideas:

1. If they like broccoli, add broccoli “sprinkles” by chopping off the tippy tops of broccoli florets to make them into tiny pieces, like the size of chia seeds. Sprinkle just a few tiny pieces inside their quesadilla to start with!
2. If they like chicken or turkey deli meat, mince or shred the meat into teeny tiny pieces. Aim for the size of a grain of rice. Sprinkle some into the quesadilla.
3. Try adding in a different type of cheese, or have them do a taste test where you make two quesadillas with different cheeses and they can pick the winner.
4. Serve the quesadillas with a side of fruit or veggies that they like, and know that it’s OK if they really only want cheese in there!

If you have a picky eater and you want to stop it in its tracks, grab my FREE Picky Eater Starter Guide for the first 4 steps you need to take.

Ingredients Needed

Ingredients:

• 4 Mission original whole wheat tortillas (1 per person)
• 1 to 1-½ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• Cooking spray or avocado oil or olive oil

Optional ingredients:

• ½ cup jarred salsa
• ½ cup plain 2% or 5% Greek yogurt
• 1 avocado
• ½ cup – 1 cup refried beans (I like Amy’s brand of canned refried beans)
• ½ cup finely chopped cooked chicken or deli meat
• ¼ cup broccoli florets

How to make this recipe

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray or spread on 1-2 tsp avocado oil or olive oil.
3. Add tortillas to baking sheet and top half of each tortilla with cheese and any other fillings of your choice.
4. Fold tortillas over and brush the tops of each lightly with melted butter or oil. Bake for 5-8 minutes, flip and bake for 5-8 more minutes until crispy.
5. Slice and serve with salsa, Greek yogurt, and/or mashed avocado.

Recipe FAQs

Can you make this with other tortillas (gluten-free, corn, etc.)?

I haven’t personally done this, but YES! I would just keep an eye on the cooking time to make sure they don’t get crispy too soon, but any tortilla you want should work just fine!

Can I make these tortillas on the stove top in a skillet?

Sure! Follow the same instructions and just cook for 3-5 minutes on both sides over medium heat; this takes a little more ‘work’ than throwing them in the oven, but they should cook just as well!

Can I add in other ingredients like veggies?

Yes! Definitely! Customize however you like. I will mention that grilled or sauteed veggies work best (so that the water has been cooked out a little bit), but feel free to add whatever your kids like! Just wait til after for toppings like avocado so they don’t get too mushy!

Expert Tips

The ‘optional ingredients’ are ways that you can customize these quesadillas to your kids’ liking AND boost the nutritional value. Adding in beans is a great way to get some additional fiber and protein – I like Amy’s refried beans or even just black beans straight from the can. Adding avocado or Greek yogurt (my favorite sub for sour cream, with a little bit more protein) ups the fat content! You can even add in little bits of chicken or tiny diced up deli meat for a protein boost. If your child is picky, start small and mostly unnoticeable. I’ve even used broccoli “sprinkles” (just the tops of the broccoli peeled off into little sprinkle-like morsels) in my quesadillas to get the kids used to seeing a little bit of green!

Other recipes you might like

Instant pot cheesy broccoli rice

Air fryer pizza rolls

Red lentil pasta with tomato sauce

For you

I like these silicone baking mats for sheet pan dinners like this – makes cleanup super easy and more environmentally friendly than foil or parchment!

And my daughter is currently obsessed with every single meal being on this plate with the matching utensils and cup!

Note: this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Baked Quesadilla Recipe

Baked Quesadillas

Kacie Barnes, MCN, RDN, LD

I absolutely love these because they are extremely simple and low-prep, and you can let the oven do the cooking! It’s also a great way to feed a whole family (or your kids and a bunch of their friends).

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dinner, lunch

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4

Calories 390 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 Mission original whole wheat tortillas (1 per person)
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1/2 cup jarred salsa
• 1/2 cup plain 2% or 5% Greek yogurt
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup refried beans
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked chicken or deli meat
• 1/4 cup broccoli florets

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Line baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray or spread on 1-2 tsp avocado oil or olive oil.
• Add tortillas to baking sheet and top half of each tortilla with cheese and any other fillings of your choice.
• Fold tortillas over and brush the tops of each lightly with melted butter or oil. Bake for 5-8 minutes, flip and bake for 5-8 more minutes until crispy!
• Slice and serve with salsa, Greek yogurt, and/or mashed avocado!

Notes

Nutrition info calculated for 4 tortillas, 1.5 cup shredded cheese, ½ cup refried beans and 1 whole avocado, yielding 4 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 19gFat: 23gSodium: 698mgFiber: 18g

Keyword Baked Quesadillas, Cheese Quesadillas, Make Your Own Quesadillas

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!