Watch CBS News

Have 15 Minutes? Try This Quick, Delicious Recipe for Shrimp Quesadillas

Photo Courtesy of Simon & Schuster

Who wouldn't like to make fewer trips to the grocery store, while saving money and creating less food waste? The key could be to cook with more ingredients straight from your freezer; and according to Carole Jones, blogger at mykitchenescapades.com and author of The 30-Minute Cooking from Frozen Cookbook, if you cook them the right way no one will ever know you're using a bag of frozen vegetables instead of fresh! Using frozen ingredients also cuts down on prep time and in most cases, you won't want to thaw first–with the right know-how you can go from freezer to stovetop to table in 30 minutes or less. Check out the video above for a deliciously fresh shrimp quesadilla dinner ready in only 15 minutes, one of 100 family-friendly recipes in this new collection.

Shrimp Quesadillas

These divine quesadillas have such a light and fresh flavor. The melty cheese holds all the goodness inside together perfectly. Plus, these quesadillas come together in about 15 minutes, which makes them a fabulous option when you are tempted to call for takeout because time is short. You could also top these with a little sour cream or salsa.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 7 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 16 frozen fully cooked peeled and deveined medium shrimp
  • 1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
  • 1⁄2 medium jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded, and minced
  • 1 medium Roma tomato, cored and diced
  • 1⁄3 cup frozen diced onions
  • 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 4 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 11⁄2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Colby jack cheese
  • 8 (6") flour tortillas

1) Preheat a large skillet to medium heat. Place frozen shrimp in a small mesh strainer under cold running water for about 5 minutes to thaw. Remove tails and chop into small pieces.

2) In a medium bowl, place shrimp and add avocado, jalapeno, tomato, onions, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

3) Spread half the Colby jack onto four tortillas. Top with shrimp filling, remaining cheese, and another tortilla. Cook in the skillet until brown on bottom side, about 4 minutes, then flip and cook the second side for another 4 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Related: Budget-Friendly Penny Saver Peanut Butter Pie Recipe From 'The Dirty, Lazy, Keto, Dirt Cheap Cookbook'

Nutrition Per Serving

  • Calories: 444
  • Fat: 21g
  • Protein: 23g
  • Sodium: 1,234mg
  • Fiber: 4g
  • Carbohydrates: 38g
  • Sugar: 3g

Looking for more quick and delicious recipes with ingredients you can pull straight from your freezer? Check out The 30-Minute Cooking from Frozen Cookbook by Carole Jones.

Excerpted from The 30-Minute Cooking from Frozen Cookbook by Carole Jones. Copyright © 2020 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. Photography by James Stefiuk. Used with permission of the publisher, Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.