Planning your meals for the week can be stressful, especially in the fall. When the days start to get shorter, it’s common for people to have busy days and lose the motivation to cook. But we’re taking a cue from actress Tiffani Thiessen. In addition to asking for help when you need it, she also encourages using leftovers as an efficient way to put a nutritious dinner on the table. She suggests making the most of your fridge by turning last night’s meal into something approachable and delicious like hers. butternut squash quesadilla. Here’s why we love easy fall dishes.
An avid cook with two children, Thiessen knows that to put dinner on the table, he has to work smarter, not harder. That’s why she wrote a cookbook here we go againabout making quick meals with leftovers. One of her favorite recipes is butternut squash quesadillas. I like that it is based on gourd, which is highly nutritious. Quesadillas are rich in fiber and nutrients like vitamins A and C, and because they don’t contain meat, they’re also great for vegetarians.
We met Thiessen at a Kraft Natural Cheese event in Chicago. There, she demonstrated her melt-in-your-mouth quesadillas and showed us exactly how easy they were to assemble. She started by making a simple sour cream with lime, which is prepared as a garnish for quesadillas. All you need for this part is a small bowl of sour cream, plenty of lime juice, and just a pinch of salt. Mix everything together and you’ll have an easy, tangy crema that can be served as a side dish or drizzled over the final product.
Thiessen then made the filling by sautéing tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chipotle with seasonings like oregano and cumin. She tossed the spiced vegetables with cooked butternut squash and fresh cilantro, then added the mixture to the tortillas along with shredded cheese. She covered the top of the flour tortilla with another tortilla and cooked the quesadilla in a hot skillet on the stove. After cutting the quesadilla, she garnished it with lime crema and some pomegranate arils and pumpkin seeds. The result is a dish that is not only satisfying, but also nutritious and delicious.
When we sat down to talk with Thiessen, she said leftovers are the secret to her success. That’s why she wrote her latest cookbook. She also said that her cooking philosophy at home is that “everyone can and should help,” including the children.
“My oldest son cooks dinner for us once a week,” she said. “It’s good practice for her.” She also offered some tips for making these quesadillas as delicious and convenient as possible.
- Swap the vegetables. Thiessen said the benefit of this dish is that it’s easy to modify. “If you don’t like butternut squash, you can use anything like zucchini, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc.” Use what you have on hand, especially if you can use up any leftovers along the way.
- Try other cheeses too. Thiessen likes thick slices craft These quesadillas use our signature Mexican blend shredded cheese. This cheese makes a very tasty “cheese pull”, but feel free to use your favorite cheese blend. They’re known for using everything from Gruyère to Monterey Jack to achieve the perfect balance of cheese.
- Play around with the toppings. Thiessen boosts the nutritional value of his quesadillas by using fiber-rich, nutrient-dense foods like pomegranate arils and pumpkin seeds, but other toppings can also add nutritional value. Masu. Try sliced avocado, shredded cabbage, or diced tomatoes.
You can also change up your tortilla plans. We opt for whole wheat tortillas (you can also make your own if you’re ready for a fun project). your health. After all, increasing whole grains means increasing fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants.
No matter how you fill or top these quesadillas, they’re a fun fall twist on a classic dinner staple. If you’re a bit of a quesadilla fan, you can change up your routine with other fun recipes like Sweet Potato Quesadillas or BBQ Pork and Smoked Gouda Quesadillas. If you’re really into butternut squash, cozy fall recipes like Marry Me Butternut Squash Steak also make delicious dinner plans.
