I love a quesadilla, it has been one of my go-to meals for decades, a constant as I became a vegetarian and am now transitioning into veganism.

“Almost Famous” has been a constant comfort movie for me as well, for more than 20 years.

So to kick off my Veg Out second anniversary double feature, I’m combining these two comforting classics.

My vegan, gluten-free recipe makes 2 quesadillas, which I consider to be 2 “servings.”

Ingredients
2 large gluten-free, vegan tortillas or wraps
1 cup vegan shredded cheese (colby jack, cheddar and/or a Mexican-style blend)
0.25 cups salsa
0.5 cups mushrooms
0.5 cups black beans
more salsa, guacamole, sour cream and/or queso for dipping (optional)

Instructions
Mix the cheese, salsa, mushrooms and black beans together in a bowl and set aside.

If you have been living the vegan, gluten-free life for any amount of time, you know finding a pliable large tortilla is difficult.

I’ve found some great burrito-sized ones that at first glance may seem super brittle, but the key is to heat them individually in your lightly oiled skillet on low heat for about a minute before you add your fillings. This helps them become foldable for that classic quesadilla shape.

After warming the tortilla so it’s pliable, flip it over and put half of the filling inside on half of the tortilla.

Turn the burner up to medium heat.

Carefully fold your tortilla and press the top half down gently so the filling bonds the two sides together with ooey gooey goodness!

Once that is accomplished, flip the quesadilla so both sides of the tortilla are a little crispy.

Slice and serve with more salsa, guacamole, sour cream and/or queso.

Enjoy as you watch one of my all-time favorite movies!

The Easy Route
You might be able to find spicy black beans and/or mushrooms to skip the step of adding your salsa.

We used pre-shredded vegan cheese to make that part a little easier.

You might be able to find a dining establishment that can make a vegan, gluten-free quesadilla for takeout or delivery. If you know of such a place, please share those details in the comments.

The Pairing
I absolutely adore “Almost Famous,” and it is firmly in my top 10 movies of all time.

The film follows William (Patrick Fugit), a 15-year-old aspiring journalist, as he gets a career break with the opportunity to profile the fictional 1970s band Stillwater.

I saw it for the first when I was 15, interested in journalism and getting into classic rock from the 1960s and ’70s. It is absolutely essential in my personal film canon, in addition to just being an outright incredible film.

The story is loosely based on the real-life experiences of Cameron Crowe, who wrote and directed the movie.

Stillwater is essentially a bunch of charismatic assholes, most notably Jason Lee as the egomaniacal frontman, Jeff Bebe, and Billy Crudup as the spotlight-stealing guitarist, Russell Hammond.

Then there’s the star-making turn from Kate Hudson as Penny Lane, a “band aid” who is on the road with the band and in a relationship with Russell. Hudson is absolutely luminous in this role.

Equally luminous is Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs, a renowned music journalist who becomes a mentor to William.

Plus Frances McDormand is at the peak of her powers as William’s mother, Elaine, and Zooey Deschanel is outstanding as his sister, Anita, in a few pivotal scenes, too.

The ensemble surrounding this cast is a cavalcade of then-stars and bit parts from actors as they started their careers, including Fairuza Balk, Anna Paquin, Jimmy Fallon and Rainn Wilson.

My favorite scene in the film is the “Tiny Dancer” tour bus sing-along, and it is just one example of how outstanding the writing, directing, editing, acting, cinematography and soundtrack of “Almost Famous” are.

This movie means a lot to me personally for all the reasons I listed above and more, and I cannot recommend it enough to anyone who loves film, journalism and/or music.

If you decide to make a quesadilla and/or watch “Almost Famous,” let us know! Tag us in your Instagram posts & stories, threads, tweets or TikTok videos: @veg_out_recipes