Looking for a fast and fun meal that everyone in the family will love? Then you have to try these Cheesy Pizza Quesadillas! These easy-to-make quesadillas are perfect for school lunches, snacks, dinner, or even an appetizer and will be enjoyed by all – from toddlers to adults!
Pizza Quesadillas
Are you looking for a quick meal that your kids will love AND that you can get on the table in less than 10 minutes?
Then, I’ve got you!
These easy, cheesy pizza quesadillas, are absolutely clutch on those busy nights when you have been running since the moment you’ve woken up, and literally the only thing getting you through the day is the thought of cozying up under a thick blanket on the couch with a bowl of chocolate chips and one of those trending sleepy girl mocktails.
Here’s the deal – we are going to stuff two tortillas with the ingredients of your kiddos fave pizza, before adding it to a skillet and cooking until it is nice and crispy golden brown. What you’ll get is a classic quesadilla stuffed with savory pizza sauce, gooey melted mozzarella cheese, and pepperonis. You’re kids will love, and you will be one step closer to that couch. Now that’s a win-win!
#momhack – When I make these for dinner for my kids, I always like to make an extra pizza quesadilla so that I can let it cool before packing it away in the kids lunch boxes for the next day. That way, you can have dinner and lunch at the same time! Score!
Ingredients
- Tortillas: I used flour tortillas for this recipe, but you can sub whole wheat or a gluten-free brand
- Pizza Sauce: homemade or store-bought
- Mozzarella: you can shred your own or use pre-shredded mozzarella from the store. I used pre-shredded cheese. You can also use an Italian cheese blend.
- Parmesan: optional, but is great to sprinkle on top.
- Toppings: you can use any topping you prefer. See below for lots of fun options and combinations.
Feeding kids can be tricky! But, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here you can find 40 Family Dinner Ideas, over 100 Kid Snack Ideas, great Hidden-Veggie Recipes, 50 Cooking with Kids Recipes, and so much more! And for even more family-friendly recipes, check out my best-selling cookbook Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.
Allergy Substitutions
- Gluten-Free: use a trusted brand of gluten-free tortillas and gluten-free toppings.
- Dairy-Free: vegan cheeses have come a long way in their replication of taste, texture, and behavior (Melty! Bubbly! Stretchy!) so try plant-based mozzarella or parmesan-style shreds. If that doesn’t appeal, you can absolutely still have delicious pizzas sans cheese!
Let’s Quickly Get Cooking
Pizza Quesadilla Variations
There are so many tasty variations to be had with these pizza quesadillas. Just make sure not to overload the quesadillas with toppings or they will be too thick (and messy) for kids to eat.
Sauces
- Hidden Veggie Pizza Sauce, Veggie Loaded Pasta Sauce or Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Store-bought sauce
- Spinach Basil Pesto or store-bought pesto
- Barbecue Sauce
Toppings
- Veggies: bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach
- Cheese: mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, cheddar, “jack” cheeses, feta
- Meats: pepperoni, ground sausage, chicken, bacon crumbles
Expert Tips
- Soft tortillas can be a bit chewy and pose a difficult texture for younger eaters, so make sure to cut these pizza quesadillas into thin strips if serving to toddlers younger than 12 months old.
- Less is more, when it comes to fillings, especially pizza sauce or ones with more water content, like tomatoes.
- If you’re watching sodium content for toddlers and younger kids, use cheese like fresh mozzarella, fresh ricotta, and goat cheese, as they contain less sodium than some traditional cheeses, like parmesan or pecorino romano. You might also want to serve ham, sausage, and pepperoni sparingly for toddlers, as these meats can be saltier.
- If you’ve got picky eaters, try setting up the ingredients for these pizza quesadillas ‘buffet-style’ so that kids can make their own creations in a low-pressure setting.
Kid-Requested Easy Cheesy Pizza Quesadillas (10 minutes)
Ingredients
- 4 large flour tortillas, white, whole wheat or gluten free
- 1/3 cup pizza sauce, homemade or store bought
- 1 cup shredded cheese, Mozzarella or Italian blend
- 1/3 cup toppings, pepperoni, chopped peppers, sliced olives, etc.
- 1 tbsp parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- Prep: preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Sauce: Place two tortillas on a large cutting board. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce on one tortilla.
![A tortilla with pizza sauce on top sitting on a teal plate.]()
- Assemble: On top of the sauce, sprinkle a thin layer of cheese. Add a layer of any toppings you prefer. Sprinkle on another thin layer of cheese and a pinch of parmesan. Top with the other tortilla.
![A tortilla with pizza sauce cheese and pepperoni on a teal plate with a white background.]()
- Cook: Add a little cooking spray or butter to the warmed skillet, if you prefer. Gently place the quesadilla on the warmed skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes on one side or until golden brown. Flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Transfer the cooked quesadilla to a cutting board and repeat with the other pizza quesasilla.
![A cooked quesadilla pizza style in a silver skillet.]()
- Eat: let cool slightly (those toppings will be hot) and slice into wedges, strips or chunks before serving.
![A pink kids plate with wedges of pizza quesadilla sliced grapes and cucumber with ranch dipping sauce.]()
Notes
Toppings
- Veggies: bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach
- Cheese: mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, cheddar, “jack” cheeses, feta
- Meats: pepperoni, ground sausage, chicken, bacon crumbles
Toddlers
- Can help spoon and spread on the sauce.
- They can help sort ingredients into smaller bowls for buffet-style serving.
- Toddlers love to sprinkle on the cheese and add their own toppings.
Kids
- Kids can preheat the skillet.
- They can spoon and spread on the sauce.
- Kids love to sprinkle on the cheese and add their own toppings.
- With supervision, kids can cut the cooked quesadilla with a pizza cutter.
- cut grapes
- carrot sticks
- steamed broccoli
- apple slices
- mixed berries
- pepper slices
- quartered cherry tomatoes
- sugar snap peas
- mandarin oranges
- cucumber slices
- cantaloupe spears
Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
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