Carmen’s Mushroom Quesadilla with Portobellos

This mushroom quesadilla made with portobello hongos is a favorite in the home of Carmen Clara of Chicago. It’s delicioso and easy, our favorite comida combo. Carmen learned how to make this family recipe from her mother in Morelos, Mexico. “I grew up watching her make these quesadillas, starting when I was about 7. Mi mamá is a great cook,” she says.

Now, Carmen is the one making these quesadillas for her family—who love this recipe as much as she did at first taste, back in Morelos.

Carmen makes this dish for dinner pretty often: “About every 15 days. So one to two times a month,” she says. “Especially during mushroom season every fall. That’s the rainy season when the mushrooms start to pop out everywhere.”

How to Serve This Mushroom Quesadilla

Carmen likes to drizzles salsa over this mushroom quesadilla. ”When I make these at home, I serve them with both salsas—red and green—because everyone likes different things. But most people in my family like the green one, made from tomatillos,” she says. ”I also garnish these quesadillas with a little shredded lettuce and cheese, like Chihuahua or queso fresco.”

When she serves this dish, Carmen also usually accompanies it with two traditional sides: refried beans and what she calls “arrozito” or traditional Mexican rice. No wonder Carmen submitted this quesa to this month’s Familia Kitchen Recipe Contest: Your Family’s Favorite Quesadillas. This family recipe remind her of the taste of home—and take her back to when she was a niña in Mexico. “Everyone in my family likes these mushroom quesadillas,” says Carmen. Try them for yourself to taste why!

Ready to Try Carmen’s Mushroom Quesadilla Family Recipe?

Carmen’s Mushroom Quesadillas with Portobello Hongos

Recipe by Carmen Clara

5.0 from 2 votes

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 8 portabello mushrooms, chopped

• 1 onion, minced

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 jalapeño (optional), seeded, minced

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 8 flour tortillas

• 1/2 cup queso fresco or Chihuahua cheese, for garnish

• 1/2 cup shredded lettuce, for garnish

Directions

• Wash and chop the mushrooms into ½-inch pieces
• Mince the onion, garlic and, if you wish, the optional jalapeño.
• Warm the olive oil in a pan on the stove.
• On low heat, sautée the minced onions, garlic, salt and the jalapeño ( if using) until they soften.
• Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, or to your taste.
• Warm the flour tortillas on a hot comal, nonstick pan, or cast-iron pan, until they get a little golden.
• Place each softened tortilla on a plate or work surface. Add 3 Tbsp of the mushroom mixture in the center.
• Fold the tortilla in half, and then fold it in half again, so that the quesadilla is a pie-shaped quarter size of the original tortilla.
• Garnish with the salsa of your choice (Carmen’s family usually reaches for salsa verde), shredded lettuce, and Mexican cheese like Chihuahua or queso fresco. And serve!

Notes

• Carmen does not usually put cheese inside her quesadillas. She prefers to only sprinkle queso as garnish on top.