Forget the same old sandwich. Chef Tim Castañeda of Prince Valley Market says quesadillas are the answer to back-to-school lunch fatigue, and he brought four versions to prove it.
Castañeda’s lineup included egg and chorizo with tomato and onion, marinated steak, a spicy shrimp Diablo, and a stewed chicken and spinach combination he’s been making since the 1990s.
For the chicken version, he layers baby spinach so it wilts gently under the melted cheese rather than fully cooking.
“It’s not completely cooked and it’s not completely raw,” Castañeda said during the segment on Live in the D.
Cheese choice matters too. Castañeda favors Chihuahua melting cheese or Queso Oaxaca string cheese and always starts with a little oil in the pan.
“I always use oil because it gives it a little extra crisp,” he said.
He also called quesadillas a sneaky way to work vegetables into a picky kid’s diet, and said smaller tortillas make for easier, bite-sized portions for younger eaters.
The market sells ready-made lunch box kits built around mini quesadillas, paired with cut fruit and vegetables, for parents short on prep time.
With Labor Day grilling season approaching, Castañeda also pointed customers toward the market’s meat counter, highlighting a budget-friendly cut used in many of the store’s prepared dishes.
“This chuck is a great value,” he said, adding, “for the price, especially nowadays, it gets the job done.”
Beyond the meat and prepared food cases, Castañeda said the market sells thousands of tortas and tacos weekly, along with grab-and-go fruit boxes and pastries aimed at busy families.
Prince Valley Market is located at 5931 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48210, just east of Livernois. For more details, or to enter to win $200 in Prince Valley Market specialty and gourmet foods, visit PrinceValleyMarket.com.