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    Apple, Caramelized Onion and Spinach Quesadilla

    August 23, 2024

    We’re all in for apple season this year! We're adding them to everything, including this cheesy apple, spinach and caramelized onion quesadilla.

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    Apple, spinach, quesadilla with caramelized onions on a white plate next to apples and a blue linen

    This sponsored post is written by TMP on behalf of Kroger Stores. The opinions and text are all ours. Thank you for supporting the brands we love.

    Apple Quesadilla? Apple Quesadilla!

    While we love a classic apple pie, we’ve found that when apple season hits we want to celebrate them in more ways than one! This is especially true when the Honeycrisp apples come into season. Our favorite gold-flecked apple cultivar, Honeycrisps are just as sweet and crisp as it sounds like they would be, and best of all, they’re widely available across the country at any local Kroger store. Crisp and juicy, with just the right amount of tartness to pair with savory flavors like caramelized onions and cheese, we couldn’t resist slipping them into a warm, gooey baked quesadilla. This easy fall recipe will have you convinced that apples—especially super-fresh, in-season apples from Kroger—belong on your dinner plate.

    apples on a cutting board with knife, 2 of them with skin peeled off.
    Ingredients laid out apples spinach caramelized onions fontina cheese olive oil and tortillas

    The Absolute Best Cheese for Quesadillas

    The best cheese for homemade quesadillas is any cheese that melts really well! We love a good, classic cheddar quesadilla, and Monterey Jack is another excellent, if more mildly-flavored melter. But, since we’re marrying a lot of flavors with this unique vegetarian quesadilla, we decided to look for a cheese that would provide the most interesting contrast to the sweet-tart apples and the deeply savory caramelized onions. Enter in fontina! A cow’s milk cheese that hails from the Italian Alps, Fontina is positively made for melting. Truly! Classically made for making fonduta (Italian for fondue), a bit of Fontina will melt perfectly into your apple, spinach and onion quesadilla recipe, and make it downright dinner party-ready.

    Fontina cheese on a tortilla on a cutting board
    Spinach and fontina cheese on a tortilla on a cutting board.
    apples, caramelized onions spinach and fontina on a tortilla on a cutting board
    apples fontina cheese spinach and caramelized onions on a tortilla on a cutting board.
    4 apple and caramelized onion spinach fontina quesadillas on a baking sheet with parchment.

    How to Make Quesadillas

    We favor baked quesadillas—as opposed to those cooked on the stove-top—simply because it’s so easy to make a bunch of them at the same time if you bake them in the oven. Here’s how to make this healthy quesadilla:

    1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (so that when the cheese melts, it doesn’t stick!).
    2. Lay a tortilla on a flat surface. We like to use a cutting board.
    3. Fill half of the tortilla with shredded cheese, fresh spinach, a fan of apple slices, caramelized onions, and a little more cheese.
    4. Fold! Fold the tortilla in half down the middle so that you’ve got a half-circle, and brush the top with a little olive oil. This will help it to develop a nice crust in the oven.
    5. Repeat with each of the remaining tortillas until you’ve got eight apple-cheese quesadillas.
    6. When they’re all filled and on the baking sheet, pop it in the oven, and bake the cheesy apple and spinach quesadillas until they’re a little bit golden, the spinach is wilted and the cheese is melted.
    7. Eat! Ideally while they’re piping hot.
    Apple And Caramelized Onion Baked Quesadilla 10
    bag of simple truth organic honey crisp apples on a store shelf

    Other Easy Apple Recipes:

    Apple And Caramelized Onion and spinach Baked Quesadilla
    Apple, Caramelized Onion and spinach Baked Quesadillas on a plate

    Tools You’ll Need:

    Apple, spinach, quesadilla with caramelized onions on a white plate next to apples and a blue linen

    Apples—Your Cheese and Onion Quesadillas’ New BFF!

    We hope this Honeycrisp apple quesadilla recipe encourages you to get creative with apple season! Snap a photo of your apple, spinach and caramelized onion quesadilla and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

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    Apple, Caramelized Onion and Spinach Quesadilla

    Updated on August 23, 2024

    • Serves:  8
    • Yields:  Makes 8 quesadillas
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  1 hr 15 min
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    Ingredients

    • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
    • 16 ounces Fontina or sharp white cheddar cheese, freshly grated (about 4 cups)
    • 2 cups baby spinach
    • 1 honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced
    • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 cup Caramelized Onions

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center position. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper and grease with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.

    2. Arrange the tortillas on the prepared sheet pans. Sprinkle half of each tortilla with ¼ cup of the cheese, ¼ cup of the spinach, ⅛ cup of the caramelized onions, a few apple slices, and another ¼ cup of the cheese.

    3. Fold the tortillas over the filling and brush with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, and the tortillas are golden brown and crispy.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 406
    • Protein 18 g
    • Carbohydrates 33 g
    • Total Fat 24 g
    • Dietary Fiber 3 g
    • Cholesterol 60 mg
    • sodium 666 mg
    • Total Sugars 6 g

    Apple, Caramelized Onion and Spinach Quesadilla

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Brooke

      Is it possible to assemble these ahead of time?

      Absolutely! Just don't brush them with olive oil until you're ready to pop them in the oven. Hope you enjoy!

    • Beverly

      Can I cook the spinach before baking in oven?
      Can I use granny smith apples instead?

      Feel free to use whatever kind of apple you enjoy. There is no need to cook the spinach before putting in this recipe as it cooks in the quesadilla. Hope you enjoy Beverly!

    • Dan

      Hi there! These are delicious so first of all, thank you! We're interested in adding more vegetarian protein to these but wanted your advice in what you think would pair the best...tofu? Chickpeas? Edemame? Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

      Chickpeas would probably be great!

    • Mariel

      This was AMAZING!! I used Provalone cheese and added spicy mustard for an extra kick. We loved them!!! Thanks TMP!! <3

      Thanks Mariel, we are so glad you enjoyed them!

    • Sydney

      Delicious and simple to make. Just drain the onions before adding to the quesadilla so they’re not too oily/buttery. Very yummy. I used smoked applewood cheese for an extra kick!

      Thanks Sydney! We are so glad you loved it!

    • Kaylee

      Really good. You could add more spinach if you wanted to sneak in more nutrients, but it's not lacking. Was my first time making caramelized onions and I think I'll be doing that again. Totally worth it.

      Way to try something new and now you have a new cooking skill! Glad you gave it a shot and enjoyed it Kaylee!

    • Laura

      This was delicious. My kids devoured it, and we all loved the flavor combination! I never regret spending time caramelizing onions! I'll definitely make this again, and next time I'm planning to try Gruyere cheese. Thanks for the delicious recipe!

      Glad you all loved it!