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Cheese Quesadilla Mexican Food Recipes

Posted By ranch On February 7, 2010 @ 3:44 pm In Cooking Recipes | No Comments

Recipe: Cheese Quesadilla Mexican Food Recipes


Summary: Craving Mexican food tonight? Make these easy cheese quesadillas. They are delicious and incredibly simple. Serve with an ice cold Corona in a chilled mug along with a lime wedge, and you’ll swear you are in the cantina.

I am picky about some things when it comes to food. I freely admit it. I want fresh milk, soft bread, and fresh tortillas. I plan my diet carefully, and the ingredients that comprise it as well.

When selecting tortillas, pick up the package, and toss it up and down, see if the tortillas are “pliable” and soft. If you bend them slightly, and they crack, they are dry and you will not enjoy them. Check package dates and look for the freshest and most pliable tortillas.

Here is another option; make your own flour tortillas. I own a tortilla press, and it takes a little practice, but you can learn quickly and make the freshest tortillas in no time at all. I’ll make a note to post a “how to” for making your own flour tortillas.

The quality of food you create is only as good as the quality of ingredients you use, so fresh is best.

Ingredients

  • Soft 8″ flour tortillas (Mission or Chi-Chi’s or Homemade in your tortilla press) The FRESHER the BETTER!
  • PACE picante sauce (medium is our favorite or homemade when garden bounty provides)
  • Hot jalapeno pepper slices (optional)
  • white American cheese
  • pepper jack cheese
  • Sargento or Kraft shredded Mexican cheese blend (I’m picky about cheese too)
  • Olive oil spray
  • 1 Tablespoon room temperature butter (NOT margarine!)
  • Optional: Ice cold Corona, a chilled beer mug, and a fresh lime (cut into wedges)

Instructions

  1. Shred the white American and Monterey Jack pepper cheeses; the finer the shred, the best melt.
  2. You’ll find that a cheese or chocolate rotary shredder like those used at Olive Garden work best, but if you don’t have one, use a standard shredder. (and make a note to order a Zyliss Rotary shredder cause it is an amazing and versatile kitchen necessity)
  3. Have a dinner plate allocated for each cheese quesadilla eater.
  4. Place one fresh and very pliable (I cannot stress this enough) on each dinner plate.
  5. Sprinkle some of each cheese (White American, Montery Jack Pepper Cheese, and the Kraft or Sargento Mexican Cheese blend) onto each tortilla.
  6. Be careful not to concentrate in the middle of the tortillas; spread the cheese evenly and to within 1/4 inch of edge.
  7. Strategically place jalapeno pepper slices on top of the cheese, maybe 4-8 per quesadilla (optional).
  8. Put a top layer fresh tortilla on top to make a “sandwich.”
  9. LIGHTLY spray a non-stick skillet with the olive oil spray.
  10. Place 1/3 tablespoon butter in skillet; melt on medium.
  11. Add quesadilla “sandwich.”
  12. Don’t get tempted to start flipping and flipping, okay? Don’t do that.
  13. Let the quesadilla cook. Using a spatula, lightly “mash” down on the top layer to see how cheese is melting.
  14. When cheese appears to be melting, wait a minute or so longer, and lift up the quesadilla to check browning on bottom outside tortilla layer.
  15. You want to get a gentle “brown” on the underside before turning. If you need to add a BIT more butter (not too much) to make this happen, or increase the heat a little, then do it.
  16. When cheese is partially melted and underside of tortilla is lightly browning, carefully flip the quesadilla.
  17. Immediately lift quesadilla, and place a bit of butter underneath, holding quesadilla up enough to allow butter to be “swished” to cover pan bottom.
  18. Lower quesadilla back into pan.
  19. Watch CLOSELY.
  20. When quesadilla sides are sufficiently browned, remove to dinner plate.
  21. Slice with pizza cutter or knife into “pie wedges”
  22. Serve tableside with guacamole, sour cream, and Pace Picante Sauce for dipping.
  23. For an even more authentic experience, add a chilled beer mug, an ice cold Corona, and a squeezed lime in the beer.
  24. Serve fresh tortilla chips (Tostitos or make your own) on the side with Pace Picante Sauce or Salsa.

Enjoy!
the Rancher’s Daughter
theranchersdaughter.com

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