8- or 10-inch wheat or corn tortillas
grated cheese (Monterey Jack, Muenster, cheddar, feta, Jarlsberg, Swiss, smoked cheeses)
CHOOSE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
chopped olives (black or green)
chopped scallions, red onions, or sweet Spanish onions
finely chopped red or green bell peppers
sliced roasted red peppers or pimientos
thinly sliced chiles (fresh or canned)
avocado slices or guacamole
sliced hard-boiled eggs
fresh herbs (such as cilantro, dill, chives, basil, oregano, or sage)
refried beans
salsa
leftovers (such as spicy beans, vegetables, or mashed potatoes)
Before beginning to assemble the quesadillas, have all of the filling ingredients of your choice prepared and at hand. Lightly oil a heavy skillet (see notes). Warm the skillet on medium heat. Sprinkle or spread the filling ingredients on one half of each tortilla, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the edge. Don’t pile it on too thick or the filling will ooze into the skillet; about 1/2 inch deep is good. Fold the plain half of the tortilla over the filling (see note below). Place the quesadillas (as many as you’re cooking or as many as will fit) in the heated skillet and cook each side for 2 or 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the filling is hot. Add more oil to the skillet if necessary, and cook the remaining quesadillas.
PER QUESADILLA: 286 CALORIES, 13 G PROTEIN, 14.7 G FAT, 26.5 G CARBOHYDRATE, 666 MG SODIUM, 40 MG CHOLESTEROL.
NOTES
• If you have two large skillets, you can reduce the total cooking time by heating several quesadillas at once.
• A heavy cast-iron skillet will not need repeated oiling. In fact, it is possible to cook the quesadillas without using any oil, but the result will be a less crisp tortilla.
• If the tortilla cracks when you fold it over the filling, briefly heat each tortilla in the warm skillet, to make it more pliable, before topping it with the filling.
• If you cook the quesadillas in batches, keep the first ones warm in a low oven while you cook the remaining batches.
COOKING TIME
6 minutes
SERVINGS
2 quesadillas per person
With a crisp wheat or corn tortilla shell and a melting interior, quesadillas are like a Mexican grilled cheese sandwich. Traditional quesadillas are unbaked tortillas or specially prepared dough wrapped around a filling and fried in oil or lard. Here we give you our simple method for preparing quick quesadillas. The filling can be whatever combination of ingredients you think will taste good or have on hand. We don’t limit ourselves to ingredients that are traditionally Mexican. Many quesadillas are especially good topped with salsa and/or sour cream.
Make-your-own quesadillas are great for an informal gathering of friends or family. Leftover Easy Refritos (see page 79), Borani (see page 47), and Black Bean Dip (see page 46) can be used as fillings for quesadillas for a quickly prepared lunch.