Griddle Chili Mac Quesadillas with Lime Sour Cream
Brown ground beef with onion and chili spices in a deep skillet over medium coals or a medium stove flame, then simmer elbow macaroni right in the sauce for about 12 minutes until thick. Scoop the chili mac into flour tortillas with shredded cheese, fold, and griddle 2 to 3 minutes per side until crisp and melty. Dunk wedges in lime sour cream. Total time is about 55 minutes.
Chili mac is a one-pot dinner. This version turns it into a handheld one. You cook a thicker, less saucy chili mac, tuck it into tortillas with plenty of cheese, and crisp them on the griddle.
The crunchy edges and the cool lime sour cream make a good contrast to the spiced beef and soft pasta. It is a good way to use a chili mac you made earlier in the trip, or to cook a fresh batch just for this. Wedges are easy to eat standing around the fire.
Griddle Chili Mac Quesadillas with Lime Sour Cream
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- Medium coals or medium stove flame
- Pack weight
- 5 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- One burner
- Some water
- A few dishes
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- Deep 12-inch cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven with lid
- Griddle or second large skillet
- Wide spatula
- Tongs
- Instant-read thermometer
- Knife and cutting board
- Small bowl for sour cream
- Large bowl for filling
- Heavy-duty foil
Steps
-
Prep and mix
Dice the onion, mince the garlic and zest and juice the lime. Stir the sour cream, 1 tsp lime juice, a pinch of the zest, the cilantro and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Add more lime juice to taste, then put it back in the cooler.
-
Brown the beef
Heat a deep 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the beef 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F. Spoon off extra fat into an empty can.
-
Cook the aromatics
Add the onion and cook 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika and 1 tsp salt. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
-
Simmer the macaroni
Add the tomato sauce, water, macaroni, green chiles and beans. Bring to a bubble, cover and cook on medium-low 10 to 12 minutes. Stir every 3 minutes so the pasta doesn't stick.
-
Thicken the filling
Uncover and cook 2 to 3 minutes more until the sauce clings and the macaroni is tender. It should be thick, not soupy. Scoop it into a bowl and let it cool 5 minutes. Wipe out the pan.
-
Fill the tortillas
Lay out 4 tortillas. Top each with 1/4 cup cheese and 1 cup of filling, then add 1/4 cup more cheese on the filling. Cover each with a second tortilla and press down.
-
Griddle until crisp
Heat the pan or griddle over medium heat with a little oil. Cook each quesadilla 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and the cheese is melted. Add more oil between batches and keep finished ones warm in foil.
-
Cut and serve
Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve right away with the lime sour cream. Eat the leftovers within 2 hours or pack them in the cooler.
Trail Notes
Cook the filling at home through step 5 and freeze it flat in a zip bag. It works as a cooler ice pack for the first day or two. Thaw it in the cooler, then reheat in the skillet to 165°F before filling the tortillas.
Keep raw beef, cheese and sour cream at 40°F or below. Use the beef within the first day or two, or freeze it solid before you leave. Wash hands and the cutting board after handling raw beef.
For a no-meat version, skip the beef and use a second can of beans, drained, plus 1 cup frozen or canned corn. Add 1 Tbsp oil to cook the onion.
Pack out the can of beef grease sealed, and never pour it on the ground or in the fire. Strain dishwater through a mesh strainer, pack out food scraps, and scatter the water well away from camp and water sources.
Round out your camp day
Picked to work with the same kit as this recipe.
BreakfastSkillet Bacon, Egg and Cheddar Muffin Sandwiches: An Easy Breakfast Camp Recipe
LunchCampfire Beer-Simmered Brats in Cast Iron
Snack or treatGriddle Honey-Chili Halloumi and Pineapple BitesMore one-burner camping meals →Planning a trip? Get the free 3-day meal plan →
Campers ask
Can I use leftover chili mac for quesadillas?
Yes. Reheat it in the skillet until steaming (165°F) and cook off extra liquid until thick, or the tortillas will tear and turn soggy.
How do I keep chili mac quesadillas from falling apart?
Let the filling cool for 5 minutes, use cheese on both sides of it to glue things together, and don't overfill. Flip with a wide spatula.
Can I cook these over a campfire?
Yes. Use a grate over medium coals with a cast-iron skillet or griddle, and keep the coals even. Move the pan to a cooler spot if the tortillas brown faster than the cheese melts.
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