Cheese Quesadilla – cheesy, crunchy, and warm quesadilla filled with your favorite cheese. Ready in about 10 minutes, so perfect for a quick and easy anytime meal!
I don’t know about you, but we always have some stuff in our fridge. Two of them are cheese and tortillas. Quesadillas are one of my quick meals when we don’t have anything planned or just have odds and ends that need to be used up.
This is a basic cheese quesadilla, but you can dress it up and add your favorite veggies, whatever you have left over, protein, or just enjoy! These Chicken Bacon Avocado Quesadillas are one of my absolute favorite combinations.
Why you will love this
- Eating couldn’t be easier. It’s really only 3 ingredients – Tortillas, cheese and some fat. I like to use olive oil, but butter, avocado oil, or any other oil you like will work to crisp up the tortillas.
- Great way to clean the fridge. You can add any veggies you like, last night’s leftover chicken, or really anything else to a quesadilla.
- Customize without being a short order cook! Everyone in the family can build their own, and it’s no extra work for you. So let your kids choose their filling and cheese and make their own.
What is a quesadilla?
A quesadilla is basically a Mexican version of a grilled cheese sandwich. It is a tortilla stuffed with cheese and other ingredients, which is then fried until crisp and golden brown.
what you will need
- Tortillas – I like to use flour tortillas for quesadillas. I think they just taste better and get nice and crispy. However, corn definitely works, so if that’s all you have or just what you like better, go for it!
- Cheese – Get creative and use whatever is your favorite. For these I used cheddar cheese and some pepper for some spice. But anything goes!
- oil – You want to coat the outside of the tortillas with some oil to help them crisp up. I use olive oil, but you can use butter or any other oil you like to cook with.
How to make cheese quesadillas
- Start by arranging the tortillas on a plate or board in front of you. Then layer the cheese. You want to put a reasonable amount of cheese in it and fill it to the brim.
- Put the top on and brush the top with oil.
- Get a skillet or griddle hot and spread oil or melt butter in pan.
- Place the quesadilla in the hot pan (oiled tortilla still on top) and cook until the bottom is nice and crispy, 3-5 minutes.
- Flip carefully and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until crisp and cheese is melted.
- Remove from the pan and cut into triangles to serve.
What goes with quesadillas?
You really can serve a cheese quesadilla with anything since it’s a pretty blank canvas. Refried beans are a great side, or my favorite Spanish rice is another great idea.
I like having a few things that I can definitely top or dip into.
Best cheese for quesadilla
If you’re in Mexico, chances are you’ll find a quesadilla served with Queso de Oaxaca. It is a mild white cheese that melts very easily. It could be likened to mozzarella cheese in the United States.
But I think any cheese you like works great and is the best cheese for a quesadilla. The real criterion you want to use is whether it melts well. Because that’s really all you want is a crunchy tortilla with gooey, melty cheese inside. Here are a few great options.
- Cheddar cheese
- Monterey Jack Cheese
- Pepper Jack Cheese
- Colby cheese
- mozzarella cheese
storage
Quesadillas really are best eaten the day they’re made, but you can definitely reheat them. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then when you’re ready to reheat, you can microwave the cheese for 30-45 seconds to warm it up. And finish in a hot pan so the tortilla gets crispy again.
Yield: 4
Cheese Quesadilla
Cheese Quesadilla – cheesy, crunchy, and warm quesadilla filled with your favorite cheese. Ready in about 10 minutes, so perfect for a quick and easy anytime meal!
preparation time 5 minutes
cooking time 10 mins
total time 15 minutes
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 taco-sized flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
instructions
- Heat a large skillet or grill over medium-high heat.
- Meanwhile, arrange 4 of the tortillas on a plate or board in front of you. Then layer the cheese. You want to put a reasonable amount of cheese in it and fill it to the brim.
- Place the remaining 4 tortillas on top and brush the top with oil.
- Drizzle oil onto the hot cooking surface.
- Place the quesadilla in the hot pan (oiled tortilla still on top) and cook until the bottom is nice and crispy, 3-5 minutes.
- Flip carefully and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until crisp and cheese is melted.
- Remove from the pan and cut into triangles to serve.
Remarks
You can use any cheese you like. Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, Pepper Jack cheese, Colby cheese, and mozzarella cheese all work very well.
Nutritional Information
yield
4
serving size
1
amount per serving calories 508total fat 33gSaturated Fatty Acids 16gtrans fat 1gunsaturated fat 14gcholesterol 81mgsodium 999mgcarbohydrates 29gdietary fiber 3gsugar 2gprotein 23g
Nutritional Disclaimer: All information on this website is for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should be used as a general guide only.
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Welcome to Dinners, Dishes & Desserts, where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual cook who loves to feed people. This blog has hundreds of quick and easy recipes, mostly made from scratch. I spend my days in the kitchen creating new recipes to share with family and friends.
