Pesto Quesadillas

Homemade Pesto

Yup. I said PESTO Quesadillas. These are my absolutely new favorite afternoon snack or lunchtime treat. They are so easy to make, super delicious, and a great way to use up the pounds and pounds of basil growing in my garden.

You can make your own pesto or buy some from your favorite farmer or local grocer ... if you are here in NC, I am a fan of the homemade Walnut Basil Pesto from Michele's Garden. So good!

However, if you have got some basil - and it is really, really, easy to grow basil just about anywhere - why not make your own pesto?

Why not make pesto with ARUGULA?

If I have walnuts or pine nuts I add them in to my food processor, but usually I keep it super simple when I am making homemade pesto - 

• handfuls of basil and/or arugula, 
• a dash or two of sea salt, 
• drizzles of olive oil, 
• parmesan cheese 

Combine in a food processor. Add more olive oil to make it the right consistency. Blend again.  Taste test to see if you need more salt. That's it. Instant pesto.  If you have some arugula growing in your garden or you picked some up at the farmers market, that also goes really well in pesto - add it in with your basil or use it all by itself to give your pesto a nice kick!

To make the quesadillas, use your favorite tortillas - I have a few delicious corn tortillas that I enjoy using but my friend just brought over some gluten-free tortillas made by Rudi's - wow! They were so delicious. I tried the Fiesta Tortillas - they were so soft and tasty - look for them near you, I found some at Earth Fare here in Charlotte.

Rudi's Fiesta Gluten-Free Tortilla - Yum!

Heat up some butter in a hot skillet, lay the tortilla flat in the skillet and place cheese on one half of the tortilla - your favorite cheese - muenster, provolone, colby jack - anything goes! Lightly spoon your pesto over the cheese and let the cheese get a little bit melty.

Fold the tortilla in half so that the edges touch - press down with a spatula so that the quesadilla seals itself together with the melted cheese. Flip once. Remove from heat and cut into little pick-me-up triangles. Serve with fresh fruit. Lunch. Dinner. Done!