With my Foreman Grill, toaster, coffee pot, waffle iron. My desire for another countertop gadget is non-existent. But, I do love Quesadillas. I hope a machine isn’t necessary.
Not another counter to gadget but something far more versatile. I have two of these smallish, cast iron griddles. Put both of them on the burners of my gas stove and get them rocket hot. Slide an assembled quesadilla onto one griddle, invert the other and put it onto the first. They nest together quite nicely, squeezing and crisping for a very nice quesadilla.
This method also works well for grilled cheese sandwiches and you can reverse the griddles to use the ‘grill’ side to make paninis.
As far as quesadilla recipes, whatever you have is good. I start with a layer of refried beans and a thin layer of shredded cheese. From there, the sky is the limit.
Good lord, no. Spread your filling on a tortilla, top with another tortilla, place in an oiled pan, flip when the cheese melts. Serve with guacamole and other toppings.
Here is my recipe for quesadillas my family loves. They call them “yummies.”
Ingredients:
Refried black beans
Double ground beef or turkey*
Cheese
Yogurt or sour cream
Spread tortilla with bean and meat; top with shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese.
Heat olive oil in skillet. Place tortilla in it, brown and flip. Cut into serving sizes with a pizza cutter. Top with sour cream and guacamole.
I take ground meat and throw it in the food processor, add a little liquid and blend. Makes for very smooth meat
Take a tortilla. Butter it. Put it in a pan, butter side down. Make sure the pan is hot, and on a burner. That’s turned on. Put cheese (I like Monterey Jack) and whatever other toppings you want on top of the tortilla. Take another tortilla. Butter it. Put it on top, butter side up. When the bottom tortilla is brown and crispy, flip the whole shebang. When the other tortilla is brown and crispy, remove, cut, eat, and enjoy.
There can’t be more than a handful of things that are easier to cook.
You can put any filling in them that you want. I usually put a small amount of olive oil in a very large skillet and heat it. Place one large tort in the pan, then add fillings, then second tort, then flip.
This recipe was in Sunset Magazine recently. Just be careful with the grill temperature or they’ll get too crispy. Good eats.
Shrimp & Garden Quesadillas with Avocado Salad
¾ pound peeled deveined shrimp
3 garlic cloves, chopped
½ tsp each sea salt, ground cumin and paprika
¼ tsp each pepper and cayenne
1 TBSP each orange juice and olive oil
1-1/2 cups each shredded cheddar and jack cheeses
4 large four tortillas
¾ lb. zucchini, shredded
¾ cup fresh corn kernels
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Salad
2 ripe avocados, sliced
2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
¼ cup thinly sliced yellow onion
2 TBSP chopped cilantro
1 TBSP olive oil
3 TBSP lime juice
½ tsp each salt and pepper
Toss shrimp in a bowl with garlic, salt, spices, orange juice and oil. Heat grill to 400.
Place half of shredded cheeses, zucchini, corn and green onions on one half of each tortilla, top with the other half of the cheeses.
Grill the shrimp for about 3 minutes in an oiled grill pan. Coarsely chop shrimp and scatter on the other ingredients. Fold tortillas in half and grill about 1-2 minutes on each side until cheese is melted. Remove from grill, cut into wedges, and serve with salad on the side.
Quesadillas are what I make when I can’t be arsed to cook. Anything other than the basics is contra-indicated. But I do usually sprinkle some Mexican oregano over the cheese before nuking.