Dressed-Up Shrimp Quesadillas with Mango and Gouda

Mary Anne and Mariel here. Recently Mariel and I enjoyed a few days alone at our little family abode and, per usual, food was at the forefront of our conversation. As we pondered what to have for dinner one night, Mariel requested that we make my “fancy quesadillas,” the ones with shrimp and Gouda cheese. Gouda? What a great idea, but I swore to her I’ve never once made a ‘dilla con Gouda. As we bantered back and forth, we realized, who cares? Let’s make ’em…and we’re adding mango too. Take that memory loss! While these quesadillas are a bit pricier than average, we wrangled two fantastic dinners from our sorta-splurge. That was enough for us to declare them Feast-worthy.

Stretch the filling to serve 6 by using smaller tortillas. Cut them into finger-sized portions and pass them as cocktail bites. Serve with Guacamole and sour cream.

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Dressed-Up Shrimp Quesadillas with Mango and Gouda
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped – $5.99
1 medium-large Vidalia onion, chopped fine (about 2 cups) – $1.19
1 Jalapeno pepper, minced – $0.19
1 clove garlic, minced – stock
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided – stock
6 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, shaved – $4.95
1 medium mango, peeled and diced – $1.50
2 Tablespoons cilantro, minced – $0.99
8 -8 inch whole wheat tortillas – $2.59
Grand Total Assuming Well-Stocked Kitchen: $17.40
Total Per Serving: $4.35

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet, large enough to accommodate 4 tortillas, with tin foil.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over med-high flame. Sauté the onion and jalapeno until the onion is lightly golden and caramelized, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

4. Using the same pan, heat the remaining oil and sauté the shrimp until just pink. This takes only a moment or 2 and they will continue baking in the oven. Over cooking shrimp makes them tough and chewy.

5. Place 4 tortillas on the prepared cookie sheet. Divide the onion/jalapeno mixture and spread evenly over the tortillas. Place half of the Gouda slices over the onion mixture.

6. Follow with the shrimp, mango, and cilantro. Top with the remaining cheese slices and cover with the remaining 4 tortillas.

7. Using a large piece of tin foil, cover the prepared Quesadillas, crimping the edges to prevent the tortillas from becoming toast. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Allow to rest for about 3-5 minutes before cutting into wedges.