Picadillo Ground Beef Quesadillas

Picadillo is popular Latin comfort food, and it's typically served with rice. But it's equally delicious served as a quesadilla, and it's a great way to use leftover picadillo. Feel free to garnish with some pico de gallo, pickled hot peppers, cilantro, more cheese, or with your favorite toppings.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 348 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons raisins
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ cup diced onion
• ½ cup diced red bell pepper
• 12 (8 inch) flour tortillas
• cooking spray
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons olive brine
• ½ cup sliced pimento-stuffed green olives

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place diced potato in a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.

Step 2

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cooked potato and brown on all sides for about 3 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Step 3

Add ground beef to the skillet; cook and stir until browned, crumbly, and no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper, onion, and garlic; cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain as much fat from the pan as possible.

Step 4

Stir in tomato sauce, water, olive brine, oregano, salt, and pepper until well combined. Add olives, raisins, and reserved potatoes; stir well. Reduce heat to low and simmer picadillo for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 5

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Place a tortilla in the hot skillet and cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Step 6

Spread about 1/4 cup hot picadillo on one half of the hot tortilla. Top with Mexican cheese, then fold tortilla in half, pressing down with a spatula. Cook until cheese is melted, about 1 more minute. Repeat to cook remaining quesadillas.

Step 7

Cut each quesadilla into 3 triangles to serve.