Mushroom and Cauliflower Quesadillas
These Mushroom and Cauliflower Quesadillas are crispy on the outside and loaded with roasted cauliflower, meaty king oyster mushrooms and melty cheese. They are extra good served with quick-pickled red onions tucked inside for a little zip and zing. These may be vegetarian but they are so tasty and satisfying. Even your carnivorous people will devour them happily!
My daughters ask for these Mushroom and Cauliflower Quesadillas to be in our regular meal rotation and honestly I’m happy to oblige since the quesadillas themselves are only a 4-ingredient affair.
Gotta love that right?
Furthermore, you have the meal-prep option to roast the mushrooms and cauliflower and store them in the fridge until ready to use.
🎥 Watch video for Mushroom and Cauliflower Quesadillas
The quick pickled onions and peppers can also be made in advance and kept refrigerated in a mason jar up to a week.
The mushrooms and cauliflower florets roast for 15 minutes in the oven until tender and brown on the edges, then piled inside a flour tortilla along with shredded cheese and grilled on a skillet until crisp on the outside and warm and gooey on the inside.
Enjoy as a speedy dinner or weekend lunch. These would also be amazing as a party appetizer if you cut them into easy-to-grab triangle wedges.
Even if you’re cooking for just 1 or 2 people, make the full recipe and store the components in the fridge to be made into fresh quesadillas all week long. Minimal effort, maximum pay off. That’s the ROI we all need.
If you have any questions about the recipe, pop them in the comments section below. I’m always happy to help!
Eat well and be well,
Sonia x
what you’ll need:
Ingredients for Mushroom Cauliflower Quesadilla
King oyster mushrooms - Hand-shredded king oyster mushrooms are amazing for creating satisfying “meatiness” in all kinds of meat free dishes. I am such a huge fan and use it in a variety of dishes such as my recipe for Mushroom and Egg Rice Bowls, another hit at my house.
Cauliflower - the co-star for the filling. Make sure to cut them into fairly small florets so they fit easily inside the tortilla
Cheese - When I can get it, I shred Oaxacan cheese for quesadillas as an ode to its Mexican origins. But it’s not always easy to find. The next best thing is fresh mozzarella cheese.. Fresh mozzarella comes in a vacuum-packed ball and typically sold in the same section as other fresh cheeses like bocconcini or ricotta. Regular mozzarella is great too! All of these cheeses will contribute to gooey and melty quesadillas.
Flour tortillas - I use the small 6.5” diameter tortillas for 6 quesadillas. You can use larger tortillas for fewer.
Red onion - for the “quick-pickled onions” component. Make sure to slice the onion quite thinly if you’re using them right away so they get soft and pickled by the time the quesadillas are grilled.
Jalapeno or serrano peppers - adds a bit of a kick and flavour. Put more or less to taste.
White wine vinegar - can sub with other vinegars you like such as white vinegar, rice vinegar and red wine vinegar
Water - for the pickling brine
Sugar - for quick pickled onions and peppers
Kosher salt
Oil - for roasting and grilling
🎥 Watch video for Mushroom and Cauliflower Quesadillas
steps at a glance:
How to make Mushroom and Cauliflower Quesadillas
(scroll down to recipe card for the full recipe)
Make quick-pickled onions and peppers first so they have time to marinade
Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a small pot and bring to a boil. Pour over sliced onions and peppers. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the rest
Roast cauliflower and king oyster mushrooms in a 425f (220c) oven for 15 minutes or whenever tender with golden brown edges
Meal Prep Tip! Cool and store roasted cauliflower and mushrooms in the fridge for 3-4 days until you need them
Heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and a tortilla
Working quickly, add to half the surface: shredded cheese, mushrooms and cauliflower, plus more cheese
Fold tortilla over and cook until bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes
Use a weight (e.g. burger press or heavy pot) for more even browning and crispier results!
Flip over and repeat on the other side with a weight on top
While quesadilla is still warm, open it up and add pickled onions and peppers
Close it back up and enjoy right away - warm and crispy!
Repeat with remaining quesadillas, lowering heat as needed if pan is getting too hot
To keep quesadillas hot while cooking the rest, place it on a baking sheet (ideally on a wire rack - not shown because I forgot) in a 200F (93C) oven until serving
Tips & FAQs
Salt mushrooms after roasting them
Hold off adding salt to the mushrooms until after they are roasted. Otherwise, the salt will draw out moisture during roasting, preventing them from getting nicely browned in the oven.
Meal Prep a bunch of the steps!
Roasted cauliflower and mushrooms — cool and transfer them to a container to keep refrigerated for 3-4 days until needed
Quick-pickled onions — make and store in a mason jar for up to a week
Can I bake the quesadillas in the oven instead of panfrying?
Absolutely yes! You can bake the quesadillas in the oven to make multiple at the same time. Preheat the oven to 425f / 220c (or keep it on after roasting the cauliflower and mushrooms). Generously brush one side of the tortillas with oil and place it oil-side down on the same sheet pans you just used. Pile ingredients on, fold over and bake in the oven for about 3-4 minutes each side — keep an eye on it to get to ideal browning and crispiness. If the tortillas don’t stay closed, place a second sheet pan on top of them for the first 30-60 seconds in the oven then remove it for the remaining baking time. We just need to cheese to melt a bit and “glue” them closed
Keeping quesadillas warm
To keep quesadillas warm while cooking the rest, place it on a baking sheet (ideally on a wire rack - not shown because I forgot) in a 200F / 93C oven until serving
You may also like these vegetarian recipes:
Recipe Notes for Mushroom Cauliflower Quesadillas
To keep quesadillas hot while cooking the rest, place it on a baking sheet (ideally on a wire rack - not shown because I forgot) in a 200F (93C) oven until serving
Mushroom Cauliflower Quesadillas
Mushroom Cauliflower Quesadilla
These Mushroom and Cauliflower Quesadillas are crispy on the outside and loaded with roasted cauliflower, meaty king oyster mushrooms and melty cheese. They are extra good served with quick-pickled red onions tucked inside for a little zip and zing. These are flavour-packed and satisfying. Even your carnivorous people will devour them happily!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add thinly sliced onions (and peppers if using) into a mason jar or bowl. Place water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pot and bring to a boil to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour over onions and allow to cool to room temperature on the counter while preparing the rest of the recipe.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. My baking sheets fit side by side on the middle rack but check if yours do. If not, move oven racks to upper and lower positions to roast both trays at the same time, switching halfway through. Preheat oven to 425f (220c).
- On one baking sheet, spread shredded king oyster mushrooms and toss with a drizzle of oil. Do not salt mushrooms at this stage as it would draw out moisture causing them to steam rather than brown. On the second baking sheet, spread cauliflower florets and toss with oil, salt and pepper. Place both baking sheets into the oven to roast 15 minutes or as long as needed to cook to tender with brown edges, stirring once midway (and rotating baking sheets if they’re on two different levels). Pull baking sheets out and season mushrooms with salt.
- Up to this point, both the quick-pickled onions and roasted cauliflower and mushrooms can be be meal-prepped. Store onions in a mason jar. Cool and store roasted cauliflower and mushrooms in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Heat cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat on stove top. Once hot, drizzle a little bit of oil and place a tortilla on the pan. Working quickly, sprinkle shredded cheese, roasted cauliflower florets and mushrooms on half the tortilla. Add more shredded cheese on top. Fold tortilla over in half. To get even cooking, place a weight on top e.g. burger press, smaller heavy skillet or pot. Cook until bottom is golden brown and, about 2 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side. While still hot, open up tortilla to add pickled onions, and close it back up. Repeat with remaining tortillas, lowering heat as needed if pan is getting too hot. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
To keep quesadillas hot while cooking the rest, place it on a baking sheet (ideally on a wire rack - not shown because I forgot) in a 200F (93C) oven until serving
Nutrition Facts
Calories
347Fat
18 gSat. Fat
9 gCarbs
28 gFiber
4 gNet carbs
24 gSugar
7 gProtein
19 gSodium
1430 mgCholesterol
46 mgDisclaimer: nutritional information is auto-generated and should be used as an approximation.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it went and what you think of it. Or drop a note if you have any questions. I’m happy to help!
Hi, I’m Sonia
I share recipes inspired by my food cravings and what I make for my family. My role as a working mom of two girls, my life in Toronto Canada and my background as a Chinese immigrant from Hong Kong all inform the things I love, crave and create. This means an emphasis on wholesome recipes that are approachable for busy weeknights and fun recipes to make on weekends and for friends!
homemade food to nourish and indulge …
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