Quesadillas! Who doesn’t love a good quesadilla? They’re cheesy, they’re quick to make and you can eat them with your hands. Quesadillas instantly take me back to being a kid, a time when eating with a fork wasn’t always a requirement. Those were the good old days.

I don’t have kids, but I imagine that these quesadillas are pretty kid-friendly—even with the addition of broccoli. When combined with sautéed onions, garlic and cheddar cheese, simple roasted broccoli turns into something reminiscent of everybody’s favorite broccoli cheese soup. And slap that mixture in between two tortillas? Solid gold.

We served these quesadillas with simple roasted baby potatoes and sour cream for dipping. These can easily be made vegan, too; just swap the sharp cheddar for your favorite brand of vegan cheddar, and use Earth Balance or olive oil instead of real butter. This is guaranteed to become a go-to dinner option for nights when you just can’t “adult”!

INGREDIENTS

1 head of broccoli, chopped into small florets
1 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 T. butter (plus a bit extra)
Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Tortillas

STEPS

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pour the broccoli onto a pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with fresh cracked black pepper (add salt if you’d like). Roast for about 13 minutes. Since the broccoli florets are small, you’ll want to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.

2) While the broccoli is roasting, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the onion and garlic and season with fresh cracked black pepper. Sauté until the onions just start to brown.

3) If you have an extra stick of butter (or just a chunk really), use it to coat a separate large pan. Use the butter like you would a marker and “color” onto the surface of the pan, just so it’s lightly coated.

4) Place a tortilla onto the pan and sprinkle it with cheese. Add a bit of broccoli and the onion/garlic mixture, then sprinkle it with more cheese. Add another tortilla on top.

5) Use a spatula to check the bottom tortilla; once it’s browned, flip the quesadilla and cook until the second tortilla is browned. Continue this process for any additional quesadillas you’re making. Allow to cool for about a minute before slicing and serving.