Goat Cheese and Green Chile Quesadillas
Looking for a fun way to mix up quesadilla night? Put these Goat Cheese and Green Chile Quesadillas on the menu! (Pssst – there’s bacon involved!)
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Normally, quesadillas in our house are a catch-all type of recipe. They’re one of our go-to ways to use up any leftover meats and cheeses that we have hanging out in the fridge. Leftover pulled pork? It goes great in a quesadilla with some Pepperjack cheese! Leftover smoked brisket? Yup, you guessed it – quesadillas for dinner tonight! Leftover bacon? Wait – what’s that?
However, the other night, I decided to make a batch of quesadillas that didn’t rely on random bits of leftovers. I decided to make these Goat Cheese and Green Chile Quesadillas. They are delicious!
Goat Cheese and Green Chile Quesadillas
As I thought about what flavors I wanted to put into my new ‘dilla creation, I realized I’ve never used goat cheese in quesadillas before. I’m not gonna lie – I was a little skeptical. However, I do love the flavor of goat cheese, so I decided to go for it. It worked out well, and I discovered that goat cheese is a fun way to mix up the flavor profile when you’re in the mood to experiment a bit.
Now goat cheese is not melty like other cheeses. Since cheese essentially provides the “glue” that holds quesadillas together, I decided to add a handful of shredded Monterey Jack to these quesadillas, too. The Monterey Jack brought a nice subtle flavor in itself, but more importantly it helped hold everything together.
Once I had the cheeses checked off the list, I thought about other ingredients for these quesadillas. I love grilled meats, but I decided to pass on grilled chicken and/or steak here. I was afraid the flavors might compete with the goat cheese. Instead I settled on bacon (because bacon makes everything better!), corn and diced green chiles.
All together, these quesadillas were pretty darned tasty! The goat cheese brought a tangy, earthy flavor while the corn provided a touch of sweetness. And of course the bacon brought, well, the bacon.
If you’re looking for a fun and tasty quesadilla recipe, then put these Goat Cheese and Green Chile Quesadillas on the list. They got a two thumbs up from me – and I can’t wait for the leftovers for dinner tonight! Cheers!
Did you make these Goat Cheese and Green Chile Quesadillas at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Goat Cheese and Green Chile Quesadillas
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 16 oz. bacon
- ¾ cup diced yellow onion
- 1½ tsp minced garlic
- 1 7-oz. can diced green chilies, drained
- 1 14.75-oz. can fire-roasted corn, drained
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the Quesadillas
- 4 10” flour tortillas
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 4 oz. goat cheese
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
- {optional} sour cream
- {optional} salsa
Instructions
For the Filling
- Using a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate and pat dry.
- Drain all but ~½ Tbsp of bacon grease from skillet. Add onions to skillet; sauté over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, or until onions begin to soften.
- Add minced garlic, stir and continue sautéing for 1-2 minutes.
- Add green chilies, corn, smoked paprika, salt and pepper; stir until well combined. Continue sautéing, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes.
For the Quesadillas
- Brush one side of each tortilla with melted butter. Using a large skillet or griddle, place tortillas buttered-side down. (Note: Quesadillas will need to be cooked in multiple rounds. Keep finished quesadillas in a warm 250°F oven until all quesadillas have been cooked.)
- Sprinkle ~¼ of the goat cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and chopped cilantro onto each tortilla.
- Spread ~¼ of the chilies + corn mixture onto half of each tortilla and then crumble ~¼ of the cooked bacon on top.
- Fold each tortilla into a half-moon. Cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes per side, turning once, or until tortilla is golden brown.
- Slice each quesadilla into 4 pieces and {optional} serve with salsa and sour cream.
Looking for more more goat cheese recipe? Check out these other favorites, too:
cant wait to make this soon for me for the filling can i use mushrooms and for the quesadillas can i use vegan butter / cheeses and coconut cream i never had goat cheese and green chile quesadillas before perfect for my after office meals love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Yes! You can absolutely change the fillings to match your preferences, Ramya. Quesadillas are great like that! Enjoy! 🙂
Wonderful! I was wondering how you were going to get them to stick together with just goat cheese! Smart to use Monterey Jack. Love the filling!
Haha – that Monterey Jack was clutch for holding this ‘dilla together! 🙂 Thanks, Mimi!
Quesadillas are always a favourite in our house! These look so good with the hatch chilies and Monterey Jack. Yum!
I’m with ya, Michelle – we love ‘dillas in our house, too! There are just so many ways you can mix up the fillings to change the flavor profile. This version was quite delicious!
These are so pretty and definitely full of flavour. The goat cheese just ties it all together, I could certainly eat these for dinner, or lunch, or even breakfast in a pinch. Thanks for sharing 😀
Thanks so much, Merryn! The goat cheese adds such a unique and fun layer of flavor to these quesadillas. And you sound like my wife with ‘quesadillas for breakfast’ – haha! She loves savory food in the morning. Enjoy!
i’m always a bit wary of goat cheese since eating it for breakfast in Greece one time. It smelt and tasted just like … billy goat! But i’m sure your dish is sublime david.
Haha – I understand, Sherry! I used to avoid goat cheese like the plague…but then I finally decided to try it again, and I’m hooked. You know me and cheese – I like it all! 🙂
Quesadillas are a staple in our house, but I never think to make them with goat cheese. Thank you for the reminder, David! Love the flavors and textures in these and, of course, bacon! 😉
The goat cheese really adds a fun layer of flavor here, Marissa – and the bacon + corn + chilies brings the whole thing together. This was a tasty ‘dilla for sure!
This looks terrific! I love the use of goat cheese – its pungent and somewhat refreshing flavour should nicely balance out all those rich and fatty (haha) flavours. I will have 2, nope 4, please 🙂
The flavor combo here is quite delicious, Ben! I do love goat cheese on a cracker, but it was a lot of fun to incorporate it into a quesadilla. It’s not your typical ‘dilla, but it sure was delicious!
Interesting to see quesadilla as a catch all recipe, for us its either fried rice or a spring roll filled with anything. Will definitely keep this in mind next time we have leftover ingredients
That’s a really good point, Raymund. Every culture has at least one “catch all” for leftovers. Tacos and quesadillas are great for that, and fried rice is another household favorite! I’ve never though about spring rolls in that way…great idea.
I’ll bet the goat cheese is fantastic in this context, but I the addition of the Jack cheese is brilliant.
Thanks, Jeff – I do love Jack cheese. It’s mild, but it still has great flavor…and it’s also the “glue” that holds everything together here!
We love goats cheese in our house David and like you whenever I make quesadillas its usually to use up leftover meats and bits and bobs. Great idea for a recipe! Can’t wait to give it a go!
Yes – that’s the same for us, Neil! Next time, try adding a bit of goat’s cheese into those ‘dillas. 🙂