Pizza Quesadilla, Pepperoni Style

The pizza quesadilla blends two all time American favorites into one easy, quick meal or snack.  Who doesn’t love pizza and quesadillas? And better yet, who doesn’t love a 5 minute snack or meal? You probably already have the ingredients on hand!

Heat up the skillet, toss a few ingredients on the tortilla and cook away.  Pizza quesadilla, or pizzadilla as some call it, is perfect for an after-school snack, to take for an office lunch or for eating on-the-go.

How To Make Our Pizza Quesadilla

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  You don’t want it too high or the tortilla will burn before the cheese melts.  It’s all about the melty cheese.

Spread the tortilla with mayonnaise or melt a teaspoon butter in the pan. See next section “Mayonnaise vs Butter For Your Pizza Quesadilla” for tips, tricks and reasons to use one over the other.

I actually don’t use any fat for my quesadillas and they brown nicely. My boys like the extra flavor of the mayo or the butter.

If using butter, swirl the pan to distribute the butter evenly.

Place the tortilla in the pan (if using mayo, then with the mayonnaise side down).  Spoon over with tomato sauce, sprinkle pepperonis and cheese. 

If you are going to eat the pizza quesadilla on-the-go, then put half the cheese on the tortilla first, then the sauce and then the pepperoni, basil, chili flakes and remaining cheese.

The reason for putting cheese closest to the tortilla is the same idea as peanut butter and jelly.  By putting the cheese against the tortilla it keeps the tomato sauce from making the pizza quesadilla soggy. 

So with the PB&J you always want to spread peanut butter on both pieces of bread with the jelly sandwiched in the middle.  That way your PB&J doesn’t get as soggy with jelly oozing through the bread.

Fold empty side of tortilla over the filling.  Once golden and the cheese is starting to melt, about 2 minutes, flip.

Finish until golden brown on both sides and all of the cheese is melted.

If it seems the tortilla is browning too quickly and the cheese isn’t melting fast enough, then reduce the heat and add a lid.

Mayonnaise vs Butter For Your Pizza Quesadilla

It’s just a matter of choice.

Butter Pros and Cons

You can’t beat the taste of butter, there’s nothing like it. Con is that butter burns much easier than mayonnaise does.

Mayonnaise Pros and Cons

Mayo spreads so easily, especially compared to butter right out of the refrigerator.

Mayonnaise has a higher smoke point that allows for a more golden color that won’t burn as quickly as butter.

Mayo contains significantly less fat than butter.  You can also reduce calories and fat by using a low-fat and low-calorie mayonnaise.

Ingredient Substitutions

Pepperoni – use any protein that you like.  Sausage is a typical substitution.  But it takes a little more work on both the cooking end and the clean up end.  You can buy precooked sausage crumbles which makes it much faster and more convenient to use. 

I actually used sopressata instead of pepperoni. Both are salamis. The sopressata is spicy, but a little more tame and more gentle taste than the pepperoni.

If you want a healthier protein use leftover cooked chicken or pork.  Or leave the meat out all together

Or add deli meat.

Flour tortilla – You can use corn tortillas for a healthier version. Only problem with corn tortillas is that they crack and break easily.  If using corn tortillas then use 2.  Make the quesadilla just like the flour tortilla version. 

While you make the pizza quesadilla recipe, you’ll want to heat up an additional corn tortilla, sprinkle with some cheese.  When cheese melts place the cooked pizza quesadilla in it.  The cheese will hold the two corn tortillas together like glue.

The reason for the double tortilla is that the corn tortillas tend to crack and split easily.  The double tortilla makes it less messy and a lot easier to eat-on-the-go.

Pizza sauce – Make a homemade chunky tomato sauce, or use leftover spaghetti sauce for your pepperoni pizza quesadilla.

Mozzarella – you can use a block of mozzarella shredded or slice fresh mozzarella. Use your favorite cheese, Italian blend and cheddar are both good choices.

How To Take Pizza Quesadilla On-The-Go

Quesadillas are pretty hardy, and easy to throw in a lunch box or backpack. 

The rule of thumb is that food can be left at room temperature for up to 2 hours.  Only 1 hour if it’s over 90 degrees.

Honestly, I’ve left this pizza quesadilla out for a few hours and without any incident.  But I’ll always give you the advice of the FDA, which is the 2 hour rule above.

Cut the pizza quesadilla into triangles.  They will fit perfectly into the aluminum or paper bags that keep the quesadilla warm and the crumbs in the bag instead of on your lap.