If one of your family heads to the local Nisa for a Too Good To Go bag and brings home five packets of salt beef, finding uses for them requires a bit of creativity. After checking to see what we had in the cupboards, we decided to make salt beef quesadillas.
We could, of course, slap a slice or two in our sandwiches for the week, but at Simple & Homely, we like to try out new things.
So, for the first in our Too Good To Go series of articles giving you ideas for surprise foodstuffs, we’re making salt beef quesadillas for two.
We’re not just layering salt beef between two tortillas and calling it a day: we’re going to load it with onions, peppers, grated cheese, and hot Mexican spices.
Since this recipe only uses up three of our salt beef packets, we used the others to make salt beef chow mein with egg fried rice and an omelette.
Let’s take a look at the ingredients needed to make salt beef quesadillas (with prices), the method, and the family’s final verdict.
Ingredients (with prices)
- Three packets of sliced pre-cooked salt beef – Too Good To Go bag from Nisa
- 2 peppers (of any colour) – £1.38, Tesco
- 1 onion – £0.12, Tesco
- 4 tortillas – £0.99, Tesco (taken from a pack of eight)
- Grated cheddar and mozzarella mix 250g – £2.50, Tesco
- Maggi Mexican Spice Mix – £0.70 Tesco
- Jalapenos (Optional)
Total = £5.69 (for the whole list, minus the Too Good To Go salt beef)
If you don’t have (or don’t want to use salt beef), then you can use any protein you fancy. Cook some chicken and shred it, fry some beef strips, slow cook a pork joint, or go vegetarian and use beans.
As we always say in our cooking articles, check your cupboards before going shopping. Save money by using food you already have. For example, it just so happened we had Maggi Mexican Spice Mix in the cupboard. If you’ve got other Mexican spices, or a spice kit, in the cupboard then use that instead.
To make this recipe gluten-free, you can swap to Free From Tortillas which use rice and chickpea flour instead of wheat.
Method
Step 1
Dice your onion. Separately, drizzle some olive oil in a frying pan and set over a medium heat. When the pan starts to give off heat, add your onion.
Step 2
Dice your pepper and add it to the onion. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring or tossing occasionally to prevent it sticking.
Step 3
Cut three packs of the salt beef slices into strips, and add to the pan (once the veg has softened). At this step, use whichever protein you’ve got instead. If your meat is raw, make sure it is cooked before moving to the next step.
Step 4
After a minute add the Mexican seasoning. Stir, then add a tablespoon (15ml) of water. This will create a small amount of sauce – you dont want too much, just enough so that the mixture isn’t overly dry.
Step 5
Construct your quesadilla like you would a sandwich. On a flat surface, layer half of the veg and beef mix onto a tortilla, getting as close to the edge as you can. On top, sprinkle grated cheese and jalapenos (if using). Finish off with a second tortilla.
Step 6
Wipe your frying pan out, then put it back on the heat. Once hot, place the quesadilla carefully into the pan and cook for about five minutes on each side. When it’s time to flip, do so carefully otherwise your filling will spill out.
*To help you flip it, you can slide the quesadilla onto a plate, turn the frying pan upside down and hold it over the plate, then flip both at the same time.
Cook until the cheese has melted and both tortillas are slightly crisp.
Step 7
Repeat steps five and six to make your second quesadilla. While making your second quesadilla, you can either keep the first one hot in the oven or serve it fresh and eat in stages.
Step 8
To serve, slice the quesadilla into six pieces using a pizza cutter… if you have one. If not, a knife will do the job.
How was the salt beef quesadilla?
Feedback from the two family members eating the salt beef quesadilla for dinner was positive. Both reported their meal was very filling; one quesadilla would have been more than enough to feed two people.
If you’re making one quesadilla and halving it, to make it a proper meal, you could serve it with a side salad, rice, or potato wedges.
Any leftover wraps can be used for lunches, cheat pizzas, as a replacement for a savory crepe, or a breakfast wrap filled with bacon, sausages, and fried eggs.
