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Dinner recipe · from the recipe book

Turkey, Spinach and Green Chile Quesadillas

Crisp corn tortillas hold cumin-spiced ground turkey, wilted spinach and melty queso fresco, served with a smoky roasted pepper salsa.

Turkey, Spinach and Green Chile Quesadillas

Ingredients

  • 1 lb450 gGround turkey, 93% lean
  • 16 tortillas384 gCorn tortillas
  • 2 medium238 gRed bell pepperseeded and quartered
  • 1 medium123 gTomatoeshalved
  • 1 medium110 gYellow onionhalf finely diced for the filling, half cut into thick wedges for the salsa
  • 1 whole14 gJalapeñohalved and seeded
  • 3 cloves9 gGarlicpeeled, 2 cloves minced and 1 clove left whole
  • 3 cups loosely packed90 gBaby spinachroughly chopped
  • 2 oz60 gDiced green chiles, canned
  • 1 cup crumbled110 gQueso frescocrumbled
  • 1½ tsp3 gGround cumin
  • 1 tsp1 gDried oregano
  • ⅔ cup chopped10 gFresh cilantrochopped
  • 2 tbsp30 gLime juice
  • 1½ tbsp20 gCanola oil
  • ¼ tsp2 gSalt

Steps

  1. Prepare the vegetables first: quarter the bell pepper, halve the tomato and jalapeño, cut half the onion into wedges and dice the other half, mince 2 garlic cloves and keep 1 whole, and chop the spinach and cilantro.
  2. Make the salsa: heat a large dry skillet over high heat and char the bell pepper, tomato, onion wedges, jalapeño and whole garlic clove, turning, until blackened in spots and softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Blend or finely chop the charred vegetables with half the lime juice, half the cilantro and a pinch of the salt (about a quarter of it); set the salsa aside.
  4. Wipe out the skillet, heat half the canola oil over medium-high heat and cook the diced onion for 3 minutes until soft.
  5. Add the ground turkey, minced garlic, cumin, oregano and half the remaining salt; cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink and it reaches 165°F (74°C), about 7 minutes.
  6. Stir in the spinach and green chiles and cook until the spinach wilts and the liquid evaporates, 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining lime juice and remaining salt, then move the filling to a bowl.
  7. Lay out half the corn tortillas, warmed briefly in the skillet so they bend. Top each with turkey filling and queso fresco, then cover with the remaining tortillas.
  8. Wipe the skillet, brush it with some of the remaining canola oil over medium heat, and cook the quesadillas in batches, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until crisp and the cheese softens, using the rest of the oil for later batches.
  9. Cut into wedges, sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve with the roasted pepper salsa.

Contains: Milk.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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