Roasted Asparagus, Tomato and Swiss Oven Quesadillas

Oh geez, do I love quesadillas. I love them when they’re stuffed full of Mexican food, but I might love them more when they’re not. As long as cheese and tortilla are involved, I’m good to go. These were a nice change-up for dinner; if meat is a necessity at your family’s table then shredded rotisserie chicken would make a great addition.

So about 9 months ago, give or take, I made a Brussels Sprouts hash with eggs. I ate it with gusto and then literally haven’t been able to even look at a picture of Brussels sprouts since then. For some reason when I eat asparagus I think of those brussels sprouts; pregnancy aversion is a weird, weird thing. Veggies are important, though, so I’ve been hiding veggies in my meals like I am 2 years old. The hidden health in this meal pulled one over on me not to mention the ACTUAL two year old in the house. She ate her quesadillas up like a good girl, ignorant to nutritional value. Winning. Maybe you need to hide some veggies tonight or perhaps your looking for a dinner shake-up – either way this should do the trick.

If the ingredients used here don’t float your boat, at least take notice of the method. Quesadillas in the oven are easier in general – easier to prep, cook, and clean up. Fill yours with anything you want as long as you use the cheese as “glue”, placing it on either side of the fillings.

Roasted Asparagus, Tomato and Swiss Oven Quesadillas

Serves 2-4

1 onion, sliced

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 bunch asparagus, ends snapped off and cut into 1 in. pieces

3 tbsp. canola oil

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

4 whole wheat tortillas

1 (6.84 oz) package thinly sliced Swiss cheese (24 total slices)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss veggies in oil and spread on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic. Place in oven and roast for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until onions have turned golden and tomatoes have shriveled.

2. Maintain oven heat. Spray or brush one side of tortillas with olive oil. Remove foil/veggies from pan and place on countertop; re-line baking sheet with parchment or fresh foil.

3. Lay tortillas oil side down (so you’re filling the non-oiled side). Lay cheese slices on one half of tortilla and top with veggies. Lay more cheese on top of veggies and close tortilla. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

4. Once complete, place in oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and tortillas have browned. Let cool for about 5 minutes and then slice into triangles and serve.