A couple of days ago, I found myself looking through some cookbooks for apple dessert ideas, since I’d had a few extra apples on hand and I wanted to use them up. I looked through the index first, and I kept landing on recipes for apples that were paired with pork or apples that were paired with cheddar. There was an apple pie with a cheddar crust that was intriguing, but I wanted to figure out a way to combine those flavors in a quick way conducive to weekday cooking.

Here’s where the quesadilla saves the day. We love quesadillas for a quick lunch, and my girls often request them for dinner with a side of fruit salad. When we eat them for dinner, I try to take that opportunity to try out some new cheese combinations, add extra veggies (especially seasonal ones) or experiment with flavor profiles. I thought the combination of apples, cheddar, and ham, along with a few other goodies, would be great in a quesadilla. I made a little mustard maple dipping sauce, and it was just the right accompaniment to these tasty quesadillas.

Serve these on a busy weeknight or for lunch during a relaxed weekend. For you Super Bowl party hosts, these would go great on your game day table. No matter what occasion you make them for, they’re sure to please.

Ham, Apple, and Cheddar Quesadillas

3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup (use the real stuff)

Freshly cracked Black Pepper

4 Flour Tortillas (fajita size)

4 teaspoons Dijon Mustard

1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded)

4 ounces Ham, thinly sliced (I used Black Forest)

1/4 of a Red Onion (thinly sliced)

1 Apple, thinly sliced (I used Granny Smith, but any firm-crisp variety will work)

2 cups Baby Arugula

Canola or Vegetable Oil for brushing

Kosher Salt

Green Onions For Garnish

Mix the 3 Tablespoons dijon and the maple syrup in a small bowl. Season with cracked black pepper. Set aside.

Place a flour tortilla on a plate. Spread one half with a teaspoon of  dijon mustard. Top with a little shredded cheddar. Add on the ham, onion, apple, and arugula and top with a little more cheese. Fold over the tortilla and brush the outside with a little oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Repeat with the remaining three tortillas and toppings.

Place a medium skillet on the stovetop. Place a quesadilla in the pan and turn the heat on to medium. Cook slowly flipping once until the outside is crisped and brown, and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and let sit for a minute before cutting. Serve garnished with green onions and the maple mustard dipping sauce on the side.