Easy Quesadilla: Gluten-free, dairy-free and allergy-friendly

One of my quick, go-to meals when I have little time and want a meat-free meal option is a quesadilla. Since my son can't eat wheat wraps or cheese, I make him his own special quesadilla which I actually think tastes great also!

Here are the steps for a toddler and allergy-friendly quesadilla that's gluten and dairy-free.

I used these La Tortilla Factory wraps that I find near the bakery section at Giant grocery store.  I freeze them and use them as needed.

Defrost the wrap on your counter or in your microwave for 30 seconds or less.

You can use any kind of beans you want, but I had white cannellini beans frozen in my freezer that I cooked in a crockpot a few weeks ago.  I just took out about 1/2 cup of beans, defrosted and mashed them with a fork, and added a pinch of salt (the beans were originally unsalted).

I spread them on the tortilla.

Then I added Daiya cheese on top of the bean mixture.  Daiya is our go-to dairy-free and vegan cheese.

I cut up some organic cherry tomatoes and spread them over the beans and cheese.  Feel free to add other toppings here too.  Some ideas include:  mushrooms, green peppers, onions, cilantro or any mexican-themed ingredient you prefer!

Fold over the quesadilla and put it on a nonstick or regular pan sprayed with olive oil.

To help the quesadilla stay closed, I like to put a wooden spoon on the top.

Once it starts to melt and warm up, it stays closed nicely by itself.

Keep it on the pan until everything is melted, warm and semi-crispy (not too crispy for toddlers!).  I like to add some avocado on the side for additional healthy fats and a nice complementary taste.

Here's an easy way to cut them...just slice it in half, and use a knife to cut it in the avocado skin.  Then just scoop out the avocado with a spoon, or even peel the skin off with your finger!

A yummy, fast and healthy meal.

Sometimes I even add veggies as a side dish.  My son usually eats all of this!

As parents know, making mealtime fun is also important, so we frequently make the quesadilla "talk". One says "hi, I'm quesa" and the other says "hi, I'm dilla".  Yes, very silly, but sometimes a necessity to do with a toddler at mealtime.  He enjoys the silliness!!