Cuban Quesadillas

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Cuban quesadillas with roasted pork, smoked ham, pickles and plenty of cheese in between grilled tortillas.

I love cuban sandwiches, when I see them on the menu at a restaurant I can never resist ordering one. That combination of meats and cheese just can’t be beat. I decided to take my love for the cuban sandwich and turn it into something a little different –  a cuban quesadilla! It’s all of the great cuban sandwich fixings stuffed into tortillas and grilled to a golden brown perfection.

Let’s talk about the quesadilla components. I cooked up a small pork tenderloin, cut it into thin slices and layered it on a tortilla. On top of the pork goes pickles, plenty of shredded cheese (I used swiss for tradition and mozzarella for the melting factor) and a pile of Boar’s Head SmokeMaster^™ Black Forest Ham. This ham is naturally smoked with imported German beechwood and has a complex flavor that really makes these quesadillas something special.

I enjoy smoked meat, but with three young children I just don’t have the time or energy to smoke it myself, so I rely on high quality store bought products. I love to pair smoked meat with cheese, it’s always such an amazing combination. I buy this Boar’s Head SmokeMaster^™ Black Forest Ham at my deli counter – I asked for the ham to be sliced about 1/2 inch thick for these quesadillas, it’s a nice texture contrast to the roasted pork.

Once I had all of my meats, cheese and pickles in between the tortillas I grilled the whole thing until it was golden brown and crispy, just like a traditional cuban sandwich. I used an electric sandwich press, if you don’t have one of those you could bake the quesadillas in the oven or even just heat them in a pan on the stove. Make sure you serve some mustard on the side for dipping!

Confession time: I actually preferred these quesadillas over a sandwich made with bread. The traditional cuban sandwich roll is good, but let’s be honest, it’s really just a vehicle to serve up great pork, smoked ham and cheese. The tortillas complement the fillings perfectly without overwhelming them. These quesadillas make a great main course, and you can even cut them into smaller pieces and serve them up as a unique appetizer.

Do you love smoked ham as much as I do? Head on over to the Boar’s Head Smoke House Rules sweepstakes and enter to win a gift card by sharing your culinary rules for creating the perfect smoked recipes.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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Cuban Quesadillas

These cuban quesadillas feature roasted pork, Boar's Head SmokeMaster™ Black Forest Ham, cheese and pickles in between two grilled tortillas. Adapted from Everyday Food.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cuban

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 650 kcal

Author Dinner at the Zoo

Ingredients

• 1 pork tenderloin 3/4 to 1 pound
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 8 flour tortillas soft taco size
• 6 ounces Boar's Head SmokeMaster™ Black Forest Ham cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 3 dill pickles thinly sliced lengthwise
• 4 ounces shredded swiss cheese
• 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup yellow mustard

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Combine the salt, pepper and garlic powder and sprinkle over the pork.
2. Place the pork in the pan, cook for 8-10 minutes on each side until pork is cooked through. Thinly slice the pork.
3. Heat a grill pan, sandwich press or large skillet. Place 4 tortillas on a flat surface, top each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the shredded cheeses. Divide the pork, pickles and ham evenly between the 4 tortillas; sprinkle another 1/4 cup of cheese over the meats and place the 4 remaining tortillas on top.
4. Cook each quesadilla for 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cheese has melted. Cut into quarters and serve with mustard on the side. (Oven directions: Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes)

Nutrition Facts

Cuban Quesadillas

Amount Per Serving

Calories 650 Calories from Fat 288

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 32g 49%

Saturated Fat 13g 65%

Cholesterol 148mg 49%

Sodium 2573mg 107%

Potassium 773mg 22%

Total Carbohydrates 35g 12%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 4g

Protein 52g 104%

Vitamin A 10.6%

Vitamin C 0.8%

Calcium 47.2%

Iron 22.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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