Guys. Let’s be real for a moment. Cooking for yourself can be a ton of work. Between the prepwork, the actual cooking and then the cleanup, sometimes, it just doesn’t seem worth the trouble. When you’re short on time or just dead-tired after a day of classes it seems so much easier to grab something from the Jay’s Nest or have something delivered. I’m here to remind you that there is a simple solution to your problems. It’s quick, easy and doesn’t even make too many dishes dirty.
The solution lies with two of my favorite food categories: bread and cheese. Now, you might be thinking that this sounds like I’m about to talk about grilled cheese. Honestly, I could, because grilled cheese is fantastic and does fit the same criteria. That being said, I feel that quesadillas have much more potential for variability, which is why they’re the star of the week.
This article is to give you the most basic advice so you can make a stellar quesadilla. As per usual, it goes without saying that you can substitute most of the materials in the recipe for other options based on dietary restriction or personal preference. If you prefer sunflower spread to butter, then absolutely use it. Pepperjack instead of cheddar? Both cheeses? Dairy-free cheese? Shine on you crazy diamond.
Alternately, just start with what I’m recommending and you can’t go wrong. I can’t say this enough, cooking is a personal experience and (short of giving yourself food poisoning or burning down the Vera Hackman Apartments) you can’t mess this up. I believe in you, and I support you wherever you are on your culinary journey.
Let’s get to the actual recipe portion of the program, though. What you’re going to need is tortillas (I prefer to use flour tortillas), cheese (I tend to use cheddar or a multiple cheese blend) and butter.
The first thing you’re going to want to do is find a pan that is large enough for your tortilla to lay down flat. Melt butter in the pan at a mid to high temperature. You want just enough butter to cover the bottom of the pan. Then, you put your tortilla in the pan and put cheese on it. When the cheese starts to look melty you can fold half of the tortilla over onto itself.
You gauge quesadilla readiness by the color of the tortilla. You want it to be golden brown on both sides, and with a crispiness to it that can make the angels weep.
At that point you can cut it into sections, let cool and then serve. Feel free to serve with salsa, guacamole, sour cream or anything else you want, really.
That’s it. That’s the most basic quesadilla.
Why stop there, though? You can add anything you want to your quesadillas! Fresh or cooked vegetables, pre-cooked meats, salsas or even some types of fruit if you’re really mixing up the equation. There are so many creative and inspired quesadilla recipes online. Don’t be afraid to mix things up or play with untraditional flavors. It’s your kitchen and your life, so make the most of it.
