Sheet pan spanakopita quesadilla
An amazing way to get all the flavour of spanakopita with our sheet pan spanakopita quesadilla
The flavours of spanakopita are out of this world. Anyone who thinks that they don’t like spinach has never had it mixed with feta and ricotta, the combination of which is then wrapped and baked or fried into a crispy package. There are so many different recipes for spanakopita and we have yet to try one we haven’t loved.
The only downside to making spanakopita is the time commitment. Opening your own phyllo is an art and it takes patience and practice. Using store-bought phyllo sheets is much simpler, but still requires a bit of care as you lay your sheets out and make little spanakopita triangles. But using tortillas? Well, this just is a game-changing technique!
The inspiration for our sheet pan spanakopita quesadilla comes from The Pioneer Woman who shared a sheet pan chicken chili quesadilla that looks amazing! Although our filling is different, and Greek, the technique for assembling the quesadilla and baking it is pretty much the same. The possibilities for fillings are actually endless and we can’t wait to try more creative ways to adapt this fabulous idea.
Although spanakopita purists will certainly cringe at the thought of using tortillas in place of phyllo, our response is, don’t knock it until you try it! Assembly is quick, the tortillas gets super crispy, and it is a totally non-greasy meal. We love our sheet pan spanakopita quesadilla so much that we can totally see ourselves making it even when we have hours and hours to roll out our own phyllo.
How to assemble sheet pan spanakopita quesadilla.
You will need a total of 8 large tortillas. You will begin by laying out 7 of them across the bottom of your sheet pan, being sure to cover the entire surface. Your tortillas will overlap and besides the one that will be placed in the center of your pan, the remaining 6 will be half on your pan, and half off.
Once you have evenly spread out your filling you will place your 8th tortilla in the center of your pan and then fold the bottom tortillas over. All the filling should be covered!
What kind of tortillas should be used for the sheet pan quesadilla?
We used white flour tortillas but you can use whole wheat tortillas or even corn tortillas. You can also use a combination. The important thing is to ensure that they are large enough to easily cover the bottom surface of your pan, and to fold over the filling.
Bake your sheet pan spanakopita quesadilla
The trick to a crispy and perfectly cooked sheet pan quesadilla is to cook it with a second baking tray set on top of the quesadilla, pressing down on it. If you don’t use the second baking tray your quesadilla will puff up, and will bake unevenly.
We like to layer a piece of parchment paper on top of the between the quesadilla and the top baking tray, but this is optional.
To serve your sheet pan spanakopita quesadilla
Immediately after removing the quesadilla from the oven, transfer it to a cooling rack. This will prevent the bottom from getting soggy as it sits in the pan. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut your sheet pan quesadilla. It cuts best when it has cooled a little bit.
More spanakopita inspired recipes:
Spinach and cheese pita pocket
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Sheet pan spanakopita quesadilla
Equipment
- 2 baking trays 15.25 x 10.25 x 0.75 inches
- Colander
- Off-set spatula optional
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Pizza Cutter optional
Ingredients
- 8 large flour tortillas
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil plus extra for brushing onto tortillas
- ⅓ cup chopped parsley
- ⅓ cup chopped dill
- 2 tbsp finely diced red onion
- 2 tbsp chopped green onion
- 312 grams baby spinach 11 ounces
- 1 cup crumbled feta
- ½ cup (125 mL) ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Take one of your baking trays and brush the bottom with some olive oil. Place 6 tortillas around the edges of the baking tray so that half of the tortilla is on the tray and the other half is hanging over the side. Take a 7th tortilla and place it in the center of your baking tray (see image). The goal is to ensure that you do not see any part of your baking tray. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet set over medium heat add your oil, parsley, dill, red onion and green onion and saute for 3 - 5 minutes. Next, add in the spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted down.2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil, ⅓ cup chopped parsley, ⅓ cup chopped dill, 2 tbsp finely diced red onion, 2 tbsp chopped green onion, 312 grams baby spinach
- Transfer your spinach to a colander and allow to drain. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the cooked spinach mixture.
- Transfer the spinach to a large bowl and stir in the ricotta, crumbled feta, beaten egg, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.1 cup crumbled feta, ½ cup (125 mL) ricotta cheese, 1 large egg, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper
- Place your spinach mixture onto the tortillas you have arranged on the baking tray. Use an off-set spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it evenly across the entire baking tray. Place an 8th tortilla in the center of the baking tray and then fold over the tortillas which were hanging over the side of the baking tray. You should completely cover your spinach mixture.
- Brush the top of your tortillas with a bit of olive oil and cover the top with a sheet of parchment paper. Next, place your second baking tray on top of your parchment paper and press down.
- Bake in the middle rack of your oven for 20 - 25 minutes. You may need to remove the top baking tray and parchment paper near the end of the cooking time in order to brown the top. You can also set your oven to broil for a minute or so (watch carefully so that you don't burn it).
- Once cooked, transfer to a cooling rack to prevent the bottom of your quesadilla from getting soggy. Wait 5 minutes and then transfer to a cutting board to continue cooling. Your sheet pan spanakopita quesadilla is easier to cut when it has cooled a bit.
- Cut into serving sizes of your choice. We like to use a pizza cutter to do this, but a sharp knifer would also work.
- Enjoy!