Every Labor Day weekend at the beach we toast the summer with an annual block party. All of us neighbors make a little something to share and carry it down to the beach. We sample all of the offerings and talk about how shocked we are that the summer is nearly over. This summer I made quesadillas. I made these cheese and spicy sausage filled flour tortillas and served them with a pineapple salsa. The combination of the heat from the sausage and the coolness of the salsa is a winner. I even got a two thumbs up from my young neighbors!
Ingredients for Beach Party Quesadillas:
20 - 6 inch flour tortillas
24 ounces shredded Mexican Style Cheese
2 1/2 pounds hot italian sausage, removed from casing
Pineapple salsa
Time-Saving Tip: You can cook the sausage a day or two in advance and keep stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container. This makes assembling the quesadillas so easy and fast. Also, feel free to use purchased salsa...that's what I did.
Let's gather up what we need.
Now let's get cooking.
Remove the casings from the sausage and place in a non-stick pan. You don't need any oil in the pan. Cook the meat over medium heat until done. As the sausage cooks use a spatula to break the chunks into smaller pieces. When the sausage is cooked, drain and set aside.
Now you are ready to start assembling the quesadillas. Place 1/4 cup of the cheese on half of each tortilla.
Next place 2 tablespoons of sausage on top of the cheese. As you can see my tablespoon measure is pretty generous.
Once the sausage is added you can fold the plain tortilla side over the filling. Gently press down. Continue making the rest of the quesadillas, stacking them as you go along.
Lightly spray one side of each quesadilla with the cooking spray. Place a few, sprayed side down, in a pa. Cook on medium heat until the tortilla starts to brown. Once it is nicely browned you can flip it over. There is usually enough residual oil in the pan that you don't have to add more cooking spray to cook the second side of the quesadilla. Repeat the process until they are all done. All you have to do is cut each one in half and put them on a platter.
They're ready! Just add a little salsa and you're ready for a party.
Enjoy!
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