Ya’ll remember that time I bought all the ham in the world on the after Easter clearance? I froze a bunch, very confident that I could get four or five meals from it. Oh, what a fool I am. Ham lasts, friends. It is the gift that keeps on giving. How much giving, you ask? It is the end of May and I am still eating ham.
When you can stock up on a particular ingredient, the trick is to find new ways to cook said ingredient, so that you don’t get bored with it. To combat ham fatigue, I did some experimenting and came up… drum roll please…Croque-a-Dillas! Part quesadilla, inspired by a Croque Monsieur, I was able to make these with ingredients on hand and present ham to my family in a new way.
Is your house a ham free zone right now? Not to worry! There are a variety of substitutions that will be equally delicious.
Croque-A-Dillas
Ingredients
- 4 flour tortillas
- 1 cup of ham, cubed
- 1 cup of cheese, shredded
- Butter
- Deli or Whole Grain Mustard
- ½ cup tomatoes, diced
Mix the cubed ham and shredded cheese in a bowl. I used Sharp Cheddar, because it was what I had, but Colby, Monterey, Mozzarella, Havarti, Gouda, or Swiss would be equally delicious.
Pre-heat your pan at a medium setting on the stovetop. I used my 8-inch Calphalon omelet pan, with a preheat level of 4. Stovetops will vary, so adjust your settings as needed. But know that you will be cooking several dillas in this pan, so be careful not to get your pan too hot, as it will burn your later ones.
While the pan is heating, lay your tortillas flat on the counter. Over each, spread a teaspoon of mustard, adjusting for your personal tastes. Spoon out the ham/cheese mixture on half the flat tortilla.
Next, layer the tomatoes atop each of the sides with ham and cheese.
Once your pan is ready, drop in a little butter. I like to use just enough to coat the pan. That gets the tortillas perfectly crispy without feeling too greasy.
Fold the tortilla over, and lightly butter the top side.
Place two of your folded over croque-a-dillas, dry side down, in the heated, buttered pan.
Keep an eye on this first batch and adjust your cook time accordingly. Mine averaged 3-4 minutes on each side.
After you reach the desired brownness on the first side, flip your croque-a-dillas over and get the second batch on deck.
Once that first batch is done, remove them from the heat and put onto a plate. Drop some butter in the pan and make sure it is completely melted before placing the new dillas in the pan, dry side down.
Repeat those steps for each remaining batch.
Quarter your dillas using a pizza cutter after you’ve let them set for a few minutes.
Voila! Croque-A-Dillas!
Serve with your favorite side: salad and fresh fruit are great options.
What I love about this recipe is that you can adapt it to suit whatever protein you need to spice up. Extra chicken from dinner the night before? Make your own Fancy Name-A-Dilla! Some substitution ideas:
- Chicken for ham, onion for tomato, BBQ sauce for mustard
- Chicken for ham, bacon for tomato, Caesar dressing for mustard
- Turkey for ham, pickles for tomato, honey mustard for mustard
- Ground beef for ham, pickles or tomatoes, ketchup for mustard
Do you have any recipes that you discovered in the effort to stretch your food budget? I’d love to hear them!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey three years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!