Joe Wicks’ cheesy smashed beef quesadillas recipe
By PA
“These are like a cross between a smash burger and a cheesy quesadilla. My kids love making these together,” enthuses fitness influencer and cookbook author Joe Wicks. “One will chop the salad up while another will mash avocado for the guacamole. These are a great idea for when your kids have friends over too.”
Cheesy smashed beef quesadillas recipe
Ingredients:
(Serves 4)
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 7 mins per quesadilla
500g lean minced beef
1tbsp taco seasoning
8 plain tortilla wraps
½ red onion, finely sliced
Olive oil, for frying
75g cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the chopped salad:
3tbsp mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lime (about 2tsp)
2 little gem lettuces, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes, chopped
6 pickled jalapeno slices, finely chopped
100g radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
For the chunky guacamole:
2 ripe avocados, stoned, peeled and roughly chopped
Juice of 2 limes (about 1tbsp)
½ red onion, finely chopped
Small handful coriander leaves, chopped
Method:
1. For the chopped salad, mix the mayonnaise and lime juice together in a large bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Place the remaining salad ingredients on top of the dressing, ready for tossing together before serving.
2. To make the chunky guacamole, use a fork to gently mash the avocados with the lime juice in a separate bowl, keeping it chunky. Stir in the red onion and chopped coriander and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Put the minced beef in a large bowl, sprinkle over the taco seasoning and season generously with salt and pepper. Get stuck in with clean hands, scrunching to combine, then divide into 4 equal portions. Place a portion in the middle of each of 4 of the tortilla wraps (set the remaining wraps aside). Press the mince out evenly to the edges of each wrap, then scatter over the sliced onion and gently press it in.
4. Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat with a light drizzle of olive oil added. Add one prepared quesadilla, beef topping side down, and cook for 3 minutes until golden, crispy and the beef is cooked through.
5. Carefully flip it over, scatter over a quarter of the grated cheese, top with a plain wrap and press it down, using a spatula. Cook for 1 minute, then flip it by sliding it onto a plate and carefully flipping it back into the pan. Cook for another 2–3 minutes until golden and oozing with melted cheese. Slide the quesadilla straight onto a board and keep warm while you repeat to cook the remaining quesadillas.
6. Mix the chopped salad with the sauce. Cut the quesadillas into wedges and serve with the salad and chunky guacamole.
Healthy Start by Joe Wicks is published in hardback by Leap. Photography by Mike English. Available now
