Cuban Sandwich Quesadillas

the classic cuban sandwich meets a cheese quesadilla. The best of both worlds, worthy of any football party with friends.

With football season just around the corner, I’ve linked up with 63 other foodies to share 64 tailgating-worthy recipes today!

Fact: I love football season, but don’t know that I still truly get the sport of football. What I love most: We tend to see our friends more often, the weather only slightly cools (we’re in Florida, people), and the FOOD.

For today’s link-up, each major city with a football team has two food bloggers per team. Since I am in Tampa, we obviously know what team/city I’m reppin’. Raymond James Stadium, where both USF (Jason’s alma mater), and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play. Raymond James is close to several very popular Cuban restaurants in Tampa Bay. So I knew that today, I’d have to pay homage to the Cuban Sandwich!

I had never attended a live football game until I met Jason. In our early days, Jason lived within walking distance of the stadium, which was ah-mazing. We’d pack a cooler, and walk to meet friends. Afterwards, we’d generally end up stopping at a local Cuban restaurant to grab a sandwich to split, when we got home.

I could never make a homemade Cuban Sandwich as good as the pros, so instead I made it into a quesadilla, and kicked it up a notch with a Mustard Aioli – perfect football food! Once you make the mojo pork, assembling this quesadilla is stupid easy. I’ve made this pork before in the oven (to get tasty charred pieces – yummm), but for today’s recipe, I used the slow-cooker. It was just as good, and let me kind of forget about it for a few hours, which was nice. Make the pork however you like.

This quesadilla is crunchy, and soooo flavorful – it tastes like my fave Tampa sammie, but it’s in a quesadilla. Plus, aioli. This mustard aioli is life, you guys.

cuban sandwich quesadillas

the classic cuban sandwich meets a cheese quesadilla. The best of both worlds, worthy of any football party with friends.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4

Author: Nichole Crews

Ingredients

Cuban Pork

• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup orange juice - fresh-squeezed or I like this brand
• ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
• ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 10 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoons= Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 pound pork butt

Mustard Aioli

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons stone ground mustard

Quesadilla

• 4 to rtillas
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 4 slices baked deli ham
• 4 tablespoons mustard aioli - recipe above
• pickle slices

Instructions

Cuban Pork

• Place all ingredients except pork into a blender and blend on high to make a marinade.
• Pour marinade in a large plastic ziploc, or container.
• Pierce the pork on all sides with a pairing knife. Add pork to the container and seal.
• Marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours, in refrigerator.
• To a slow-cooker, add pork and cook on low 6-8 hours (check around 6 hours)
• Shred Cuban Pork with fork.

Mustard Aioli

• Add the Dijon mustard, egg yolk, and lemon juice to a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth.
• Slowly pour the olive oil into the mixture, whisking small amounts of it in at a time until it is completely incorporated. Whisk vigorously until mixture is thick and creamy.

Quesadilla

• To a nonstick skillet, lay tortilla flat. Layer one side of tortilla, in the following order: 1 tbsp aioli, ham, swiss cheese, 1-2 tbsp pork.
• Cook 4-5 minutes, until cheese melts.
• Fold empty side of tortilla to meet toppings side. Flatten with spatula.
• Flip, and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
• Remove from heat, and cut into slices.
• Dip in extra aioli, if desired.

Did you make this recipe?We want to see! Tag @casadecrews on instagram or use the hashtag #casadecrewseats so we can find you!