If you love winter squash and all things fall snacking, wait until you try these crispy Gluten Free Quesadillas. This easy gluten free quesadillas recipe is a combination of cheesy, sweet flavors, with a hint of spice.
I added in some spinach leaves to round out the nutrition...and because it is a great way to sneak some greens into my kids' snack. This easy gluten free quesadilla recipe is fully customizable, you choose your fillings!
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(*This post was sponsored by California Real Milk. All opinions are my own.)
Snack lovers rejoice because I am sharing my son's new favorite recipe with you. He has been going crazy over making quesadillas for an after-school snack. This new gluten free quesadilla recipe combines Real California Milk Cheese and pepperoni in one flavorful hand-held snack.
This recipe is so easy to make in your own kitchen! There are so many winter squash recipes on this blog for you to see! If you want even more delicious appetizer recipes, give these gluten free appetizers a try!
This stovetop quesadilla recipe is super easy to make. I find that cooking quesadillas on the stovetop so much easier than baking them. Also, when you cook your gluten free quesadillas on the stove, you can flip them like pancakes so both sides get crispy!
Why you need to make this:
These quesadillas make a great snack, appetizer, or after-school homework snack! (I don't know about your kids, but mine come home so hungry after school!) You can make these gluten free quesadillas in about 15 minutes. Kids love they can use the delicate squash filling or customize these with their favorite fillings!
Serve them with my easy 5-minute salsa recipe!
The next time you are at your local grocery store, look for products with the Real California Milk seal. It means you are supporting local farmers. Did you know California dairies are 99% family-owned and operated? This means a lot to me when serving healthy foods for my family.
What you need to make this recipe:
- Gluten free flour tortillas - I love the Mission brand, just make sure the package you grab says gluten free. They come in both plain and spinach flavors.
- Cheese
- Fillings - use what you have on-hand or like best. Try black beans, sausage, grilled chicken or beef, spinach, etc.
- Sour cream - low-fat or full-fat, it is great for a garnish
- Salsa - many love topping their quesadillas with salsa and sour cream
What kind of cheese is best?
The sky is the limit when trying to decide what kind of cheese to use in this quesadilla recipe. Here are a few of our favorite cheeses:
- Mozzarella
- Cheddar
- Monterey Jack
- Pepper Jack
Quesadillas filling ideas:
It is so fun to customize these gluten free quesadillas to include the fillings you love.
- Meats: taco meat, shredded chicken, veggie meats
- Vegetables: mushrooms, kale, bell peppers, onions
- Or eat them like my daughter and just go for plain cheddar cheese!
How to cook delicata squash:
Although you can use any filling, we are using delicate squash because it is absolutely sweet and delicious.
The first step is to cook your squash. I love to use delicata squash in this recipe because it has a natural sweetness that works well with melted cheese.
Step 1: Slice the delicata squash in half. Scoop out the seeds and then place each half slice down on a cutting board.
Step 2: Cut the squash into slices. It is okay to leave the outer peel on. You can either peel it off after it has softened from being cooked, or eat it as it is a very thin peel.
Step 3: Pan-fry the delicata squash slices with avocado oil (or another high heat tolerant oil), salt, and cumin. Dice the cooked squash slices.
Step 4: Grab your cheese and grate it over a bowl. I used two kinds of cheese for this recipe, but you can choose your favorite type of cheese to use.
Give these Squash Blossom and Epazote Quesadillas a try too!
How to make this quesadillas recipe:
Step 1: The first step to making a quesadilla on the stovetop is to heat a pan on the stove. I use a cast-iron skillet because it gets nice and hot.
Step 2: Add the delicata squash and spinach to the cooking gluten free flour tortilla and cheese.
Step 3: Add another tortilla on top of the fillings. Cook for 3 minutes. Use a spatula to check the bottom. If it looks a little golden, flip the quesadilla over. Cook another 3 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Step 4: Top with sour cream and cilantro.
Substitution ideas:
Feel free to substitute other winter squash and greens. Acorn squash is my second choice because it gets soft like delicata squash. Butternut may be too hard, even cooked so if you use this, slice it thinly.
You can use other types of greens for these gluten free quesadillas too:
- kale
- dandelion greens
- arugula
Step 3: Flip the quesadilla so the other side can get crispy.
More delicious gluten free appetizer recipes:
- Gluten Free Delicata Squash Fritters
- Instant Pot Gluten Free BBQ Meatballs
- Gluten Free Stuffed Mushrooms
- White Queso with Chorizo
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📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Delicata Squash Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 8 gluten free flour tortillas
- 1 ½ cup shredded cheese
- 1 cup roasted delicata squash
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- dash pepper
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup scallions
Instructions
- Heat a cast iron pan on medium heat with a little avocado oil or other high heat oil.
- Slice a delicata squash in half. Chop the cooked delicata squash.
- Place the squash in the cast-iron pan and cook for 10-12 minutes. Flip the squash over so both sides cook. Exact cooking time depends on how thick you cut the squash.
- In another pan, sauté spinach in avocado oil. Add cumin, pepper, and salt. Remove from the stove and pour into a bowl.
- Place a gluten free flour tortilla in the cast-iron skillet. Add cheese, squash, and spinach on top of the tortilla.
- Cover with another tortilla and cook for 3 minutes.
- With a spatula, check the bottom tortilla. If it has crisped, use the spatula to flip it over so that the other side can cook. (Just like if you are making a grilled cheese sandwich.)
- Remove from the pan and slice. Serve hot with sour cream and scallions.
Notes
- You can customize the fillings with anything you like. My son loves adding sausage and cheddar :-). Add any meats and/or vegetables.
- My favorite gluten free brand of tortillas is by Mission. They make plain and spinach flour tortillas. There are a few other brands, including a Cassava brand. I haven't tried these yet in this recipe.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition
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Angela Drake
When do you add the cumin?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Angela, I am so sorry. I went back and it wasn't clear. I updated the recipe to say when. Thank you so much for letting me know.
Vicky
I love how you have added some healthy ingredients to these quesadillas. It is a wonderful way to entice my kids to try more veggies. They love quesadillas so they would probably go for these.
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much Vicky...kids like winter squash as it is sweeter and blends in with the cheese 🙂