Corned Beef and Cabbage Cheese Quesadillas
46 days ago
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St. Patrick’s Day is coming and I’ve mentioned many times how I love a good appetizer, so we thought why not put a twist on a classic quesadilla and make it worthy of an Irish gathering. When I think of celebrating the holiday there are a few ingredients that come to mind, including corned beef, cabbage and, of course, a nice stout beer.
While there’s no beer in this Corned Beef and Cabbage Cheese Quesadillas recipe, it makes a nice accompaniment to the finished dish. With corned beef, cabbage, Swiss cheese and a dipping sauce that includes sauerkraut, these quesadillas are packed with flavor and not overly cheesy. Don’t skip the dipping sauce as it really takes them over the top.
Prepping the Ingredients
Start by mincing both the onion and garlic with the 7-5/8" Petite Chef. If you struggle cutting onions, check out our video tutorial of How to Cut Onions 3 Ways.
Use the 7-3/4" Petite Slicer to shred the cabbage. The best way to do this is to cut the cabbage in half and then into quarters. Starting at the top of the cabbage, use the slicer to cut the cabbage into thin strips.
For more information on shredding cabbage, take a look at our video tutorial.
To chop the corned beef, we recommend using a Trimmer. For this recipe, it’s really a matter of preference whether you want the corned beef sliced thin or around a quarter-inch thick before you chop it. We went with a slightly thicker pieces of corned beef for a bigger bite in the quesadilla.
It’s important to drain the sauerkraut completely, otherwise your dipping sauce will be runny. Once it’s drained, we used a 6" Vegetable Knife to finely chop it. While already cut, you don’t want long pieces of it in the dipping sauce, so a quick chop will work just fine.
To chop the fresh Italian parsley, use the 7-5/8" Petite Chef to make quick work of this task.
Making the Quesadillas
Making the dipping sauce is quite simple. In a small bowl, combine sauerkraut, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, parsley, mustard and vinegar. Make sure all the ingredients are combined and taste the dip, adding salt, if needed. Set aside to allow the flavors to combine.
While three cups of cabbage may seem like a lot, it will cook down rapidly. The key is making sure the onion and garlic are soft before adding the cabbage, and cooking it down until wilted and caramelized. Then it’s on to putting the quesadillas together and cooking them until they are lightly browned and heated throughout.
Brush melted butter onto one side of the tortilla to ensure a nice brown and crispy texture to the outside of the quesadilla. We also recommend starting the layering process with cheese, followed by the corned beef. Use a Basting Spoon to top with the cabbage mixture.
Put another layer of cheese on top of the cabbage mixture and fold over the tortilla, pressing down to seal. Cook until the tortilla is browned, flip and cook the other side until equally browned and the cheese is melted.
Repeat this process until all four tortillas are cooked. Cut each tortilla into halves or thirds, place on a plate and serve with the dipping sauce. Corned Beef and Cabbage Cheese Quesadillas were a hit in the Cutco kitchen, with no leftovers in sight. Everyone agreed the dipping sauce was a must, and most of us simply spooned it right onto the quesadilla to get maximum flavor. This will be one recipe we’ll make again.
Ingredients
For the quesadillas:
- 2 tablespoons canola, grapeseed or coconut oil
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups shredded napa cabbage
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound deli or homemade corned beef, chopped
- 4 (8" to 10") flour tortillas
- 4 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
- 8 ounces Swiss or Gruyere cheese, shredded, divided
For the dipping sauce:
- 1/3 cup finely chopped sauerkraut, drained
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- Salt, to taste
Directions
- Place a large saucepan on medium-high heat and add oil. Add onion once oil is heated and cook until softened (approximately 6-8 minutes) making sure to stir occasionally. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Reduce heat to medium and add the cabbage. Stir and cook until the cabbage is wilted and caramelized, approximately 5 minutes. Season with salt, remove from heat and add in the corned beef, incorporating it fully.
- Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Brush one side of a tortilla with melted butter and place the tortilla, buttered side down, onto the heated skillet. On one half of the tortilla, sprinkle 1 ounce of the cheese, top with 1/4 of the corned beef and cabbage mixture and sprinkle another 1 ounce of the cheese. Fold the empty side of the tortilla over to create a half-moon, pressing down with a spatula to seal. Cook for 2-3 minutes then flip the tortilla to brown the other side. The quesadilla is done once both sides are browned, and the cheese is melted.
- Repeat this process with remaining butter, tortillas, cabbage mixture and cheese.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine sauerkraut, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, parsley, mustard and vinegar. Taste and add salt, if needed.
- Place the cooked quesadillas on a cutting board, cutting each half-moon into halves or thirds. Serve with sauce alongside.
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