How about Quesadillas?

We have been having fun with quesadillas lately. So much fun that I’m pretty sure we’ll be serving them on Sunday as we enjoy the SUPERBOWL!

The basic quesadilla is like a Mexican grilled cheese. Great for parties, lunch or a quick dinner. We prefer flour tortillas lately as we’ve had better luck finding good fresh flour tortillas than corn. We like to purchase our fresh flour tortillas at La Unica Mexican Market in Moorhead. 2615 12th Ave S (218) 236-1075. Give them a call to find out what day they are preparing their fresh tortillas, be sure to stop in early to get them or ask them to hold a package for you.

The kind of cheese you use for the quesadillas is important. You want a good melting cheese. We like Monterey Jack, Gruyere, Mozzarella, Havarti, Cheddar etc… If you want to go more authentic you should try Quesillo Oaxaca or  Cotija..both found at Cashwise and Sams Club. Quesillo Oaxaca resembles a fresh Mozzarella and Cotija is drier and resembles a feta cheese. The Cotija is usually used for crumbling on top as a garnish rather than melting inside.

Be sure to have a variety of condiments to serve with the quesadillas. Fresh salsa, hot sauce, cilantro, sour cream, fresh limes to squeeze over, shredded lettuce, scallions, cheese dip and more ….

Here is a basic quesadilla recipe with a method for preparing them quickly to serve at your next party. Below the recipe is a list of some of the wonderful items you can add to make your quesadilla unique.

unsalted butter

eight 7 inch flour tortillas

2 cups grated or shredded cheese

Place butter ina large saute pan over medium heat. Heat until almost sizzling. Lay out 4 tortillas and divide the cheese among them, spread it evenly to the edges of the tortillas. Top with the other 4 tortillas. Lift one with a spatula and place in the saute pan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden on both sides. You want the tortilla to remain soft, not crunchy. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas. Cut each into 8 wedges and serve with a variety of accompaniments. (you can keep the finished quesadillas in a warmed 200 degree oven while you cook the rest.

Here are some ideas we like for quesadillas, our favorite combinations involved fewer ingredients and then fixed up with all of the garnishes.

Refried beans and salsa

Roasted Poblano or Jalapeno Peppers

Chorizo Sausage

Cilantro & Roasted Red Onions

Spinach

Wild Mushrooms & Chipotle Chiles (the smokey chiles pair nicely with the mushrooms)

Grilled Chicken & Pepperjack

Roasted Corn & Black Bean

Fresh Tomato & Basil

Breakfast quesadillas, scrambled eggs & bacon or sausage..mmmm

You can also add spices to your cheese to make an “embellished” version of the basic quesadilla:

add a dash of cumin, chile powder, cayenne, cilantro etc…

Have fun and experiment to create your own perfect quesadilla!