Recipes for the lunch time dilemma

I am in the same boat as you, Andra. Lunch is a hard meal to plan for. Leftovers are good but usually not enough for the whole family. With Darin working from home 3 days a week, I have to be a little more creative than pb & j. Enter the quesadilla. You can put anything inside a tortilla and call it lunch. So here are 3 quesadillas that are easy, yummy, and our favorites.

Crispy Black Bean Quesadillas
4 flour tortillas (you can also use corn or whole wheat)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. red onion (I hate crunchy onions so I omit this ingredient and use a couple shakes of onion powder instead)
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
pepper jack cheese (I love pepper jack the best but you can use cheddar if you don't have the p.j.)
Toppings:
sour cream
avocado
salsa

Put black beans in a bowl. Add onion, cumin, paprika, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Stir together and lightly mash the beans with the back of a spoon. This makes the quesadilla easier to flip because the beans aren't rolling out everywhere. Spoon some bean mixture onto half of a tortilla. Sprinkle on some cheese. Fold the tortilla over. Spread a little butter on the outside of one side of the tortilla. Place into a non-stick skillet over medium heat, buttered side down, then butter top half. Let cook for a few minutes until the tortilla is brown and crispy. Flip. Allow the other side to get brown and crispy and the cheese melted. I put a lid on the pan to trap the heat so the cheese melts all the way. When it's done, cut into triangles and put on toppings.

Pesto Turkey Quesadillas
*quantities of ingredients are up to you, use more or less based on your taste and family size
Flour tortillas (whole wheat, spinach, sun dried tomato are all delicious)
Thinly sliced lunchmeat turkey (my favorite is Oscar Meyer black peppered turkey)
Provolone cheese slices (swiss or cheddar is also good)
Pesto (I buy a small jar, or you can make your own)
Roma tomatoes, sliced

Spread a spoonful of pesto on half of a tortilla. Layer on turkey and cheese. Fold tortilla over and butter one side. Place in non-stick skillet over medium heat, buttered side down, then butter top side. Cook until tortilla is crispy and brown. Flip. Cook other side until crispy and brown and cheese is melted. Remove from pan, cut into triangles and serve with tomato slices on top.

Peanut Butter & Banana Quesadillas
*quantities of ingredients are up to you, use more or less based on your taste and family size
Flour tortillas
Sliced bananas
Peanut butter
Cinnamon sugar mix
Sometimes as a special surprise I throw in a few chocolate chips or white chocolate chips

Spread a spoonful of peanut butter on half of a tortilla. Evenly place bananas on peanut butter. Add chocolate chips if desired. Fold tortilla over and butter one side. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mix. Place in non-stick skillet over medium heat, buttered side down, then butter top side and sprinkle on cinnamon sugar mix. Cook until tortilla is crispy and brown. Flip. Cook other side until crispy and brown. Remove from pan and cut into triangles.