French Dip Quesadillas

The best surprises come from leftovers … sometimes. Be grateful I only post the successful concoctions. This time, however, was worth sharing.

This past week, I prepared about 5 pounds of beef roast for French Dip sandwiches. Why I prepared 5 pounds of beef for the two of us is ridiculous … or brilliant! We had sandwiches twice (and there’s enough still in the refrigerator for another round), and then I made French Dip Soup. We’ve had that for dinner a couple of times and we’ve each had a bowl or two for lunches (and there’s still enough in the refrigerator for another round). Then, I had a Mexican craving …

Quesadillas!

• In a dutch oven or sauté pan, combine leftover sliced beef and a cup of your favorite Mexican salsa or sauce. My personal preference is Herdez Salsa Ranchera (top of picture). It is a smoky, slightly spicy, tomato-based sauce that pairs really well with beef. If I had to guess, I used about 3 cups of beef to the one cup of sauce. It is not fussy. Just make sure the amount of beef you put in the pan is nicely coated with sauce.
• Gently simmer the beef and sauce for 30-45 minutes, partially covered, or until it shreds easily with two forks. Remove from heat, shred, and allow to cool.

• Line ’em up! These are 6″ corn tortillas. Use whatever you like and/or whatever you have. Spread a nice layer of beef, a few diced green chiles if you like, and some shredded cheese (this is Monterey Jack).
• Heat a griddle or sauté pan over medium heat. Spray pan with cooking spray (or a drizzle of oil) and place the quesadilla on the hot pan. Spray the top tortilla with cooking spray (or brush lightly with oil). Flip over when bottom tortilla is nicely browned. Remove to cutting board when both sides are browned and cheese is melted.
• Cut with a pizza cutter or sharp knife and continue cooking the other quesadillas.

• Serve with pico de gallo  and/or guacamole!

And, as you may have guessed, there’s still enough in the refrigerator for another round!

Anyone want to come over for leftovers??

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