Blooming Quesadilla Ring Appetizer (Printable version)

Mini cheese quesadillas arranged in a stunning blooming ring, baked golden and served with salsa and sour cream.

# What You Need:

→ Quesadillas

01 - 16 small flour tortillas, 5-6 inches diameter
02 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
03 - 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
04 - 1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
05 - 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
06 - 1 small green onion, thinly sliced
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
08 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 - Salt and black pepper to taste
11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

→ Garnish and Dipping

12 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
13 - 1 cup prepared salsa
14 - 1/2 cup sour cream
15 - 1 avocado, sliced (optional)
16 - Lime wedges (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, combine cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, black beans, red bell pepper, green onion, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
03 - Cut each tortilla in half to create 32 semicircles.
04 - Place 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture on each tortilla semicircle. Fold the straight edge over the filling to form a triangle, pressing gently to seal.
05 - Arrange the quesadilla triangles on the prepared baking sheet with points facing inward and slightly overlapping to form a tight ring in a blooming flower shape.
06 - Brush the tops of all quesadilla triangles with melted butter.
07 - Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until tortillas are golden brown and cheese is melted.
08 - Slide the baked quesadilla ring onto a serving platter.
09 - Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the ring. Place salsa, sour cream, and avocado slices in small bowls in the center of the ring. Serve with lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours, but the whole thing comes together in under 45 minutes with ingredients you probably already have.
  • Everyone gets their own crispy, cheesy triangle to pull off and dip, which makes it feel interactive and fun instead of just another platter on the table.
02 -
  • Don't skip the butter brushing step, it's the difference between pale, floppy tortillas and golden, crispy ones that people actually want to eat.
  • If you overfill the triangles, the cheese will ooze out and glue them together, making it impossible to pull them apart cleanly, so stick to about a tablespoon per triangle.
03 -
  • Press the edges of each triangle firmly after folding so the filling doesn't leak out during baking, especially if you're using a wetter ingredient like salsa or cooked peppers.
  • If your tortillas are stiff or cold from the fridge, warm them in the microwave for 10 seconds before folding so they don't crack when you bend them.
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