Tortillas.

Potatoes.

Spinach.

Cheese.

These simple ingredients are the magic behind Grilled Potato Spinach Quesadillas.

grilled potato spinach quesadilla

Grilled Potato Spinach Quesadillas Inspiration

I developed this recipe in March of 2020.  At the time, Covid lockdowns had severely limited the variety of groceries available.  With the four ingredients listed above, and a few other things I had on hand, the Grilled Potato Spinach Quesadilla was born.

I never imagined that this simple recipe would become the most popular recipe on the website.

But over 10 million repins later, thatโ€™s exactly what happened. 

Grilled Potato Spinach Quesadillas

Simple Ingredients

Surely the simplicity of ingredients is a great contributor to why this recipe resonates.  Tortillas, potatoes, spinach, and cheese are staple ingredients in most homes. 

These untraditional quesadillas underscore how good food doesnโ€™t have to be fancy.  Good food comes from simple ingredients prepared well.

grilled potato spinach quesadillas

Another secret behind this recipe is flexibility.

These quesadillas are easily made gluten-free by using gluten-free corn tortillas.

Theyโ€™re easily made vegan by using vegan cheese.  (I prefer Miyoko’s Farmhouse Cheddar.)

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You can use any size of tortilla.

You can use just about any type of potato. (Donโ€™t use sweet potatoes.)

grilled potato spinach quesadilla

Make Grilled Potato Spinach Quesadillas!

These quesadillas have inspired several variations, including my Beyond Meat Grilled Quesadillas, Holiday Leftover Grilled Quesadillas, and Ukrainian Grilled Potato Spinach Piroshki. 

If you love the classic, be sure to check out these recipes as well.

grilled potato spinach quesadilla

Grilled Potato Spinach Quesadillas have become a staple meal in our home. 

You probably have all the ingredients on hand.  So, make these quesadillas tonight for a delicious, simple meal the whole family will enjoy.

Grilled Potato Spinach Quesadillas

A Few Things!

This is a flexible recipe.  But, as my video tutorial above demonstrates, I prefer to use mini street taco size tortillas, and russet, white, or yellow potatoes in the filling.

Spatula
My favorite spatula. Click to view on Amazon [aff. link].

These quesadillas are grilled in the frying pan.  Hereโ€™s my favorite spatula for flipping the quesadillas [aff. link].  It’s technically a cookie spatula, but I love how the smaller size of this spatula gives me more control over what I flip and where it lands.

(Hopefully in the frying pan.)

You can also find this spatula in my Amazon store here.

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grilled potato quesadillas


grilled potato quesadillas
4.90 from 49 votes

Grilled Potato Spinach Quesadillas

My Grilled Potato Spinach Quesadillas underscore how good food comes from simple ingredients.ย  Vegan, Vegetarian, & Gluten-Free options.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings: 5
Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the potato filling:

  • 1 ยฝ pounds potatoes, peeled; preferably a white or yellow potato variety, such as russet or Yukon gold.
  • ยผ cup milk of choice, I prefer unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 Tbsp butter, use Earth Balance or substitute with olive oil to keep vegan
  • 2 Tbsp mascarpone, (optional, but highly recommended; omit to keep vegan, or substitute with vegan cream cheese)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ยฝ tsp garlic powder
  • ยฝ tsp onion salt
  • 2-3 cups fresh spinach, or 8-12 oz frozen

Everything Else:

  • 1-2 cups cheddar, freshly grated (omit to keep vegan, or use your favorite vegan cheddar)
  • Tortillas, any size you have on hand; I prefer the mini street taco size flour tortillas and the mini street taco size corn tortillas
  • olive oil or canola oil, for frying

Instructions

Boil the Potatoes

  • Bring the potatoes to a boil in a large soup pot of water. There should be at least 1 inch of water above the potatoes.
  • Boil for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft, and a fork goes easily through when the potatoes are pricked.
  • Note: if using large potatoes, I recommend cutting them in halves or quarters before boiling so they cook faster.

Drain the potatoes and add the seasonings

  • Once the potatoes are cooked through, drain the potatoes, and put them back in the pot.
  • To the pot, now add the milk, butter, mascarpone, salt, garlic powder, and onion salt.

Mash the potatoes

  • With a handheld mixer, mix the potatoes on medium speed until smooth, and the butter and mascarpone are completely incorporated.

Add the spinach

  • Now add the spinach. Stir everything together with a silicone spatula until the spinach wilts and turns bright green.
  • Note: if using frozen spinach, cook the spinach on the stovetop until warm before adding to the potatoes. Frozen spinach will also probably turn your potatoes a little green, but the quesadillas will still be delicious.

Compile the quesadillas

  • Now take a tortilla. Spread your desired amount of potato filling on half of the tortilla.
  • Sprinkle some freshly grated cheddar over the potato filling.
  • Now fold the other half of the tortilla over the top of the potato filling and cheddar.
  • Repeat this process until youโ€™ve used up all of the potato filling.

Grill the quesadillas

  • In a medium to large-sized skillet, heat a few Tbsp of olive oil or canola oil over medium heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  • Once the oil is hot, add a quesadilla or two to the skillet. The amount of quesadillas you grill at one time will depend on the size of tortillas used.
  • Grill/fry the quesadillas over medium heat until the side in the pan turns golden brown, about 2-4 minutes.
  • Flip each quesadilla over, and grill the other side until golden brown, another 2-4 minutes.
  • Take the quesadillas out of the skillet, and put them on a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil.
  • Repeat the grilling process with all the quesadillas youโ€™ve assembled.

Serve and Enjoy!

Notes

These quesadillas are vegetarian.
These quesadillas are gluten-free if you use gluten-free tortillas.
These quesadillas are vegan if you omit the mascarpone and cheddar, or substitute with vegan cream cheese and vegan cheddar, respectively.
If you don’t mind a little texture, don’t peel the potatoes before boiling.
Do not use sweet potatoes for the filling.ย  Use a white or yellow potato variety.
Use freshly grated cheese.ย  It melts better and doesn’t have all the additives and preservatives of pre-grated cheese.
Make these quesadillas a meal with my Champagne Vinaigrette Salad, my Kale Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing, or my Crisp Greek Salad.