Pizza Quesadillas

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5 from 34 votes

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Servings: (6-inch) quesadillas

Calories: 295kcal

Ingredients

1 lb spicy Italian sausage
3 bell peppers sliced (about 3 cups)
1 large red onion sliced (about 2 cups)
24 6-inch corn tortillas or 12 9-inch oat or wheat tortillas
2 cups mozzarella shredded
1 cup Pizza Sauce for dipping

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare Filling

Place the sausages in a large skillet over medium heat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Flip the sausages and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until cooked through. Remove to a plate. If there is a lot of grease, drain most of it but reserve 1 tablespoon for cooking the vegetables.
If there is not enough reserved grease, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and then add the onions and peppers. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until nearly softened.
Meanwhile, slice the cooked sausages into thin rounds.
When the vegetables are near tender, add the sausages and stir to combine. Continue to cook for 3-5 additional minutes until the sausages are lightly browned and the vegetables are beginning to caramelize. Remove mixture from heat.

Assemble

For each quesadilla, layer the following:
Corn tortillas- One corn tortilla, 2 tablespoon shredded cheese, ⅓ cup filling, 2 tablespoon cheese, a second tortilla.
Wheat/Oat tortillas- Assemble the 2 tablespoon shredded cheese, ⅓ cup filling and then 2 tablespoon cheese on one half of the tortilla and then fold in half.
Assemble all of the quesadillas or remove additional filling to a bowl. Once cooled enough to handle, wipe out the skillet.

Cook

Place assembled quesadillas into the skillet, ensuring that they are not overlapping (you'll have to work in batches). Cover the skillet with a lid and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the bottom layer of cheese is mostly melted.
Using a spatula, carefully flip each quesadilla over and continue to cook for 2-4 additional minutes until the cheese is completely melted and the tortilla is lightly toasted.
Remove to a plate and use a pizza cutter to slice into wedges. Serve warm with pizza sauce alongside for dipping.

Notes

Other Filling Ideas

Feel free to use your favorite pizza flavors in place of the Italian sausage and peppers. All meat needs to be cooked prior to making the quesadillas. See the post body for ideas.

Alternate Cooking Methods

While the skillet is my preferred way to cook the perfect pizza quesadilla, you can also cook them in the air fryer at 375 F for 5-7 minutes or on a sheet pan in the oven at 375 F for 8-10 minutes. For extra crispy tortillas, lightly brush the top with avocado or olive oil prior to baking.

Leftovers

Store unassembled mixture in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, resume with assembly in the recipe card.

Leftover cooked quesadillas can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before packaging so that they don't become soggy.

Reheat in a frying pan for 2-3 minutes per side over medium low heat until warmed through.

Nutrition