Spicy Shrimp Quesadilla Recipe

Deliciously customizable, it’s easy to make quesadillas a weeknight family favourite or party food staple. Start with our versions, then experiment with your favourite flavours and ingredients.

Spicy Shrimp Quesadillas with Remoulade Dipping Sauce
Serves: 3-4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Cost:

Ingredients
Cooking spray
340 grams (3/4 pound) shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked*
2 green onions, thinly sliced
10-15 mL (2-3 tsp) Cajun seasoning
500 mL (2 cups) shredded Monterey Jack or pepper jack cheese
6-8 15 centimetre (6-inch) flour tortillas
Remoulade Dipping Sauce (recipe below)

*Tip: Remove the tails and leave the shrimp whole, or roughly chop into smaller pieces. Also feel free to substitute shredded chicken or diced, cooked Andouille sausage.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray
2. Toss shrimp with green onions, Cajun seasoning and cheese
3. Spread 125 mL (1/2 cup) of filling over half of the tortillas, then top each with remaining tortillas
4. Press down lightly, and spray each side with cooking spray
5. Bake 5 minutes on one side, flip and bake 5 minutes on the other side until cheese melts and it’s a crisp golden brown
6. Let stand a few minutes, then cut into wedges. Serve with remoulade sauce for dipping

Remoulade Sauce
Makes: 250 mL (1 cup)
Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
Juice of 1/2 lemon
125 mL (1/2 cup) onion, roughly chopped
2 green onions, roughly chopped
50 mL (1/4 cup) celery, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled
15 mL (1 tbsp) prepared horseradish
30 mL (2 tbsp) mustard
15 mL (1 tbsp) ketchup
15 mL (1 tbsp) fresh Italian parsley
50 mL (1/4 cup) mayonnaise
1 mL (1/4 tsp) cayenne pepper
Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix until almost smooth
2. Season with black pepper and chill until ready to serve

Assembly & Cooking Tips

• Use a biscuit or cookie cutter to make mini tortilla rounds, perfect as appetizers.
• Instead of sandwiching ingredients between two tortillas, fill and fold one tortilla in half, then cook and cut into wedges.
• To pan-fry: Heat 15 mL (1 tbsp) of olive oil in a medium-hot skillet, then cook 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp.
• To grill: Spray grill grates with cooking spray before lighting, then grill quesadillas on medium-high heat, about 2 minutes per side or until lightly charred and crisp.

Tip: Be careful not to overfill tortillas if you plan on grilling them.