This pepperoni pizza quesadillas recipe happened when Oliver came home from school one day absolutely starving and I had nothing planned for dinner. I grabbed some leftover pizza sauce from the fridge, threw it in a tortilla with cheese and pepperoni, and cooked it in my skillet. Oliver took one bite and declared it better than regular pizza. Now we make these at least once a week because they're fast, easy, and nobody complains about them.
Why You'll Love This Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas Recipe
These Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas have saved me so many nights when I'm tired and Oliver's hungry and I just can't deal with making a real dinner. You probably have everything you need already - tortillas, cheese, pepperoni, and some pizza sauce from a jar. Takes maybe five minutes total, which is perfect when kids are hangry and complaining about being starved.
What's great is they get crispy on the outside but stay melty inside. It's like pizza but without all the hassle of making dough or heating up the oven for forty minutes. Just toss everything in a pan, flip it once, and you're done. Oliver can even help without me worrying he'll hurt himself or make a giant mess in my kitchen.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas Recipe
- Ingredients for Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas
- How To Make Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas
- Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas for Variations
- Equipment for Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas
- Storing Your Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas
- Why This Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas Works
- Top Tip
- The Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas That Got Passed Down From My Aunt's Kitchen
- FAQ
- Quick Dinner Success!
- Related
- pepperoni pizza quesadillas
Ingredients for Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas
The Basics:
- Large flour tortillas
- Mozzarella cheese
- Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas slices
- Pizza sauce
- Butter for the pan
Optional Extras:
- Parmesan cheese
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Red pepper flakes
- Bell peppers
- Mushrooms
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas Step By Step
Get Everything Ready:
- Heat your skillet over medium heat
- Lay out one tortilla flat
- Spread thin layer of pizza sauce on half the tortilla
- Sprinkle cheese over the sauce
- Add Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas slices on top
- Fold tortilla in half
Cook It:
- Put a little butter in the hot pan
- Place folded quesadilla in pan
- Cook 2-3 minutes until bottom gets golden
- Flip carefully with spatula
- Cook another 2-3 minutes until other side is crispy
- Remove from heat and let sit 1 minute
Serve It:
- Eat while hot and melty
- Cut into triangles with pizza cutter
- Serve with extra pizza sauce for dipping
Smart Swaps for Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas
Cheese Options:
- Mozzarella → Cheddar for sharper taste
- Regular → Mexican blend for more flavor
- Dairy → Vegan cheese if needed
- Shredded → String cheese torn up works too
Meat Swaps:
- Pepperoni → Ham or salami
- Regular → Turkey Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas for less grease
- Meat → Just cheese for vegetarian
- Sliced → Crumbled cooked sausage
Tortilla Changes:
- Flour → Whole wheat for healthier option
- Large → Smaller ones for kid portions
- Regular → Low carb wraps
- Store bought → Homemade if you're fancy
Sauce Switches:
- Pizza sauce → Marinara works fine
- Regular → Pesto for something different
- Jarred → Leftover sauce from pizza night
- Red → White sauce or ranch
Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas for Variations
Breakfast Style:
- Scrambled eggs instead of pepperoni
- Breakfast sausage crumbles
- Hash browns mixed in
- Serve with syrup for dipping
Veggie Version:
- Bell peppers and onions
- Mushrooms and olives
- Spinach leaves
- Cherry tomatoes cut in half
Meat Lovers:
- Pepperoni plus sausage
- Ham and bacon bits
- Leftover chicken pieces
- Whatever meat's in your fridge
Mexican Style:
- Salsa instead of pizza sauce
- Mexican cheese blend
- Jalapeño slices
- Serve with sour cream
Sweet Version:
- Nutella and banana slices
- Strawberries and cream cheese
- Cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top
- Oliver's favorite for dessert
Equipment for Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas
- Plate for serving
- Large skillet or griddle pan
- Spatula for flipping
- Pizza cutter or sharp knife
Storing Your Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas
Same Day:
- Best eaten right away while they're still crispy
- Can sit at room temperature for a couple hours
- Don't cover them or they get soggy
- Reheat in the pan for 30 seconds each side
Next Day:
- Store in fridge wrapped in foil
- Microwave for 20-30 seconds to warm up
- Won't be as crispy as fresh but still tastes good
- Oliver eats leftover ones cold sometimes
Don't Bother Freezing:
- They get weird and mushy
- Tortillas don't freeze well anyway
- Just make fresh ones - takes five minutes
Make Ahead Tip:
- Great for busy school nights when everyone's starving
- You can prep the filling ingredients ahead
- Keep sauce, cheese, and pepperoni ready to go
Why This Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas Works
I've made these Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas probably a hundred times now and they turn out right every time because there's almost nothing you can mess up. You're just melting cheese in a tortilla - not exactly complicated. The pepperoni's already cooked, cheese melts fast, and tortillas are ready to go. Even on days when I'm dead tired and can barely function, I can still manage to not burn these.
The timing is what saves me with Oliver. Five minutes total means he doesn't have time to start complaining about being starved, and I don't have time to second-guess myself and make it harder than it needs to be. Heat the pan, throw stuff together, flip once, done. No measuring anything, no waiting for the oven, no fancy techniques. Just quick food that tastes decent and stops the whining about dinner.
Top Tip
- If you make a bunch at once, keep them warm in a 200°F oven on a baking sheet. Don't stack them or they'll stick together and turn into one giant cheesy mess. I learned this the hard way when I was making them for Oliver's friends after school - ended up with what looked like a cheese and pepperoni pancake instead of individual quesadillas.
- Another thing I figured out is to let them rest for about a minute after you take them out of the pan before cutting them. If you cut them right away, all the cheese runs out and you're left with sad empty tortillas. Oliver used to get so frustrated when his quesadillas would fall apart, but once I started letting them cool just a tiny bit, they hold together perfectly and everyone's happy.
The Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas That Got Passed Down From My Aunt's Kitchen
My Aunt Carol showed me this when I was having a meltdown about feeding Oliver after school. He came home one day all cranky and starving, and I had nothing planned for dinner again. She was visiting and just grabbed a tortilla from my kitchen, threw some pizza stuff in it, and made it in my pan. Oliver wolfed it down and wanted another one immediately.
Aunt Carol had been making these for her three kids back in the 80s when money was tight and she needed something cheap that her picky eaters wouldn't complain about. She called them "pizza sandwiches" and said they saved her sanity during those after-school hours when everyone was hungry and grouchy. She never had a real recipe - just showed me how to fold the tortilla and flip it without making a mess. Now I make them all the time and think about her whenever Oliver asks for his "pizza tacos."
FAQ
What to put in a pizza quesadilla?
The basics are cheese, pepperoni, and pizza sauce, but you can add whatever pizza toppings you like. We've tried mushrooms, bell peppers, sausage, and even pineapple. Just don't overstuff it or everything falls out when you flip it.
Can you put pepperoni in a quesadilla?
Yes, that's exactly what this recipe is about. Pepperoni works great in quesadillas because it's already cooked and adds that pizza flavor. Just lay the slices flat so they don't bunch up in one spot.
What sauce goes best with pepperoni pizza?
Regular pizza sauce or marinara sauce works fine. You can also use ranch dressing if you're into that, or even garlic butter. Oliver likes to dip his in extra pizza sauce, but I think they're good on their own.
What's the secret to a perfect quesadilla?
Don't overfill it and use medium heat so the outside gets crispy before the inside burns. Also, let it rest for a minute after cooking so the cheese sets up and doesn't leak everywhere when you cut it.
Quick Dinner Success!
Now you know how to make these pepperoni pizza quesadillas that have saved my butt on so many school nights when Oliver comes home starving and I have nothing planned. He still begs for them constantly, and I don't mind because they take five minutes and he stops whining about being hungry. They actually taste good too, not like some weird kid food I'm forcing myself to eat.
Need more quick dinner ideas? Our Easy Chicken Flautas Recipe is another fast weeknight winner that Oliver loves helping make. Want something fancier for date night? Try our Easy Seafood Bisque Recipe that tastes like restaurant food but doesn't take all day. Or go all out with The Best Lobster Salad Recipe Ready in 15 minutes when you want to feel fancy without the fuss!
Post pictures of your Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas! I love seeing other people's kitchen disasters and successes - makes me feel normal when my counter looks like a tornado hit it.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
pepperoni pizza quesadillas
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet or griddle For cooking the quesadillas
- 1 Spatula For flipping the quesadillas
- 1 Pizza cutter or sharp knife For cutting the quesadillas into triangles
- 1 Plate for serving For serving the finished quesadillas
Ingredients
- 2-4 large Flour tortillas
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese Shredded Shredded or other cheese options
- ¼ cup Pepperoni slices
- 3 tablespoon Pizza sauce
- 1 tablespoon Butter For greasing the panFor
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese Optional for topping
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning Optional for flavor
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic powder Optional for extra flavor
- ¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes Optional for heat
- ¼ cup Bell peppers Optional for variation
- ¼ cup Mushrooms Optional for variation
Instructions
- Heat the skillet, prepare the tortilla, sauce, cheese, and pepperoni.
- Spread pizza sauce on the tortilla, add cheese and pepperoni, then fold.
- Butter the skillet and cook the quesadilla until the bottom is golden.
- Flip the quesadilla carefully and cook the other side until crispy.
- Let the quesadilla rest for a minute, then cut it into triangles and serve.
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