As an easy dinner or quick lunch, this Shrimp Scampi Quesadilla Recipe is a great change up to your routine, and they are packed with flavor and only 4 ingredients!
I am a huge advocate of family dinner. Studies have shown that when families eat together, everyone is generally healthier, they have better eating habits and the kids perform better in school*.
But I’m going to be honest. While we do have family dinner every night, it’s not always pretty. Before I had kids, I had this idea that everyone would gather around the table and talk about their day over a meal that I had lovingly prepared.
But the reality is that with a 5 year old, a 3 year old and an almost 2 year old, dinner time is usually more crazy than pleasant. The 5 o’clock hour is a crazy one, and at the end of the day, it’s all we can do to just get through dinner.
But I refuse to give up. When I heard that SeaPak was celebrating National Seafood Month by making dinnertime “Shrimptacular”, showing that dinner doesn’t have to be complicated and that it can be fun, I knew I wanted to participate. Having dinner together is beneficial for family members of all ages, and it doesn’t have to be a big, time-consuming production.
On those days when it has been crazy, and when the kids are crying for attention and I don’t think that dinner will ever happen, I like to change things up. Change the setting. A simple dinner and taking it away from the table is all it takes sometimes!!
Our favorite way to have a Family Fun Night is to have a living room picnic. We put on a movie that we all love (the kids are totally into Harry Potter right now) and eat a picnic dinner on the living room floor. The kids stop fighting and start laughing, and we get to spend time together. And that’s really what matters. I love that we are creating memories, and that we actually get to spend time together.
Keeping the food simple on these nights is key, as well. The quicker I can get dinner done and that I can attend to the family, the better. And this Shrimp Scampi Quesadilla Recipe definitely fits the bill!! We are huge fans of the SeaPak Shrimp Scampi, and while we usually eat it with pasta, the last time we were eating it, I thought that it would be delicious added to quesadillas. And I was right!!
The SeaPak Shrimp Scampi is packed with flavor and cooks up in just minutes. All you have to do it cook it, chop up the shrimp, and add it to simple quesadillas. The kids love quesadillas, and one of Abbi’s favorite foods is shrimp, so I knew these would be a hit!
What do you do to make family dinner fun?
Shrimp Scampi Quesadilla Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box 12 oz frozen SeaPak Shrimp Scampi
- 4 6-8 ” flour tortillas
- 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the SeaPack shrimp in a single layer and sauté for 7-8 minutes, turning occasionally, until the shrimp are fully cooked. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and coarsely chop.
- Heat a griddle over medium heat. To half of each of the tortillas, add some of the Monterey Jack cheese, some Parmesan, 1/4 of the shrimp and then a little more Monterey Jack (to act as the “glue” to keep everything together). Fold the tortilla over the filling, forming a half circle.
- Spray the griddle with nonstick cooking spray and place the quesadillas on. Cook until golden, then flip and cook on the second side until golden and the cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into wedges to serve.
Thank you to SeaPak for sponsoring this post. Because of sponsors like SeaPak, I am able to bring you all of the recipes I feature here.
AAN says
What do you serve this with for dinner?
eugenia roberson says
SALSA AND GUACAMOLE
Melissa | Bits of Umami says
Saw this on a Good Housekeeping round up and had to come check it out! I love that you used boxed scampi for this. I always feel guilty for using packaged food items, but who has the time!? The shot of the kiddos nomming away on these shows just how delicious these are!
Chels R. says
How cute is that! I’ve still got Christian in a high chair and bib because he is a messy eater, so I consider you brave! We do bring the high chair into the living room on friday nights for a movie and dinner tonight-usually our pizza night. 🙂
Joanne says
I must remember this tip for the future…my mom used to let us have dinner in the dining room on occasion and it always felt so fun! ‘Dillas are such a great meal for out-of-the-box eating locations because they are handheld and not super messy. Yours sound super tasty!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
What a fun idea! My family loves quesadillas, and this would be a big hit! Love the dinner picnic idea too!