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Cheese Quesadilla (+ Secret For Extra Crispy Crust)

Cheese Quesadilla (+ Secret For Extra Crispy Crust)

Quesadillas With Cheese

Delicious cheese quesadilla loaded with melted cheese and topped with 4 Ingredient Guacamole and Pico de Gallo. Upgrade your quesadilla with cheese and turn it into our popular Carne Asada Quesadilla or Quesadilla with Steak.

More Mexican Recipes and Carne Asada Recipes – Carne Asada Fries, Street Tacos, Tacos al Carbon and Mexican Shrimp Cocktail.

Photo with two ingredients with name title "flour tortillas" and "cheese".

Ingredients

Quesadilla recipes require minimal ingredients as well as minimal time to make. This queso quesadilla recipe requires just ten minutes and two ingredients: cheese and flour tortillas (store bought or homemade flour tortillas).

Queso Quesadilla

You can use almost any “meltable” cheese. Fantastic cheese options include: Mexican cheese blend, Monterey jack, Colby, cheddar, gouda, pepper jack or even Oaxaca. Mix and match as you see fit for your Cinco de Mayo menu!

Side by side photos showing cheddar on a tortilla.

How to Make A Cheese Quesadilla

Only a few short minutes stand between you and cheez-y goodness! 

  1. Spread 1/2 – 3/4 cup of cheese evenly over 1 side of the tortilla.
  2. Fold over and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, until the cheese is melted through out. 
  3. Top the tortilla with your favorite toppings and get to grubbing!

Crispy Tortilla Crust

For an extra crispy crust, add 1/2 tbsp of butter to the hot pan, and let it melt, then add a stuffed tortilla to the pan. Repeat between batches. 

You can also use oil, but it doesn’t beat a buttery tortilla shell.

Pico de Gallo in a white bowl surrounded by the individual ingredients.

Topping Ideas

The topping we use in this Mexican favorite are typical for San-Diego Mexican food. There are a ton of other toppings that would be killer. Here are a few of my favorites:

Add Some Protein

Looking to bulk up your meal? Here are some Mexican-flavored proteins that would be amazing stuffed inside. Almost any protein leftovers can be diced and thrown in with success.

Quad photo showing labeled photos of different meat proteins.

Flavor Combinations

There are many ingredients that pair together really well to take your quesadilla with cheese to the next level. Here are a few popular combinations we think you’ll enjoy:

Pizza Quesadilla – add pizza seasoning, pepperoni, sausage and mozzarella

Hawaiian – add bacon, ham, diced pineapple with mozzarella

Fajita Quesadilla – add bell peppers, onions and pepper jack cheese

Pulled Pork Quesadilla – add pulled pork, BBQ sauce, red onions, and mozzarella

Vegetarian – cooked zucchini, mushrooms and bell pepper with Monterey jack

Breakfast Quesadilla – add diced ham, bacon or sausage with cheddar cheese

Steak Quesadilla – Throw in leftover steak with any cheese

Or just kick back with a Bourbon Margarita and call it a day with just cheese!

Close up photo of flour tortilla stuffed with steak and cheese.

Side Dish Ideas

Fully loaded tortillas don’t need a side, but if you’re serving them at a party or splitting with friends, you may want to amp up the menu! Here are some side dish ideas:

Sliced quesadilla with cheese topped with guacamole.

Expert Tips

  • Avoid pre-shredded bagged cheese as the coating prohibits the cheese from melting properly. 
  • A healthy level of cheese is in each serving. To reduce calories, take it down to as little as a 1/4 cup of cheese.
  • Keep cheese about 1/4″ – 1/2″ from the edges of the tortilla. The cheese will spread as it melts. 
  • Use a pizza cutter to quickly and easily cut into wedges.
  • Serve with a side of Chipotle Crema.

Mexican Drinks

Here are some Mexican drinks that would pair extremely well with this dish:

Mexican Mule
Corona Sunrise
Michelada
Mexican Candy Shot

Cheese Quesadilla Recipe

Sliced cheese quesadilla topped with quacamole.

Cheese Quesadilla

Delicious cheese quesadilla loaded with melted cheese and topped with 4 ingredient guacamole and Pico de Gallo.  This Mexican recipe take less than 10 minutes to make. Or, upgrade and make our popular Carne Asada Quesadilla. This is exactly how they make quesadilla recipes at San Diego taco shops (taquerias).
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Cinco De Mayo Recipes, Quesadilla Recipes
Servings: 4 Quesadillas
Calories: 260kcal
Author: Darcey Olson
Cost: $10

Ingredients

Quesadillas:

Optional Toppings:

Instructions
 

Quesadilla:

  • Pre-heat a cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet over medium heat.
  • Place the tortilla on a flat surface. Add 1/2-3/4 cup of cheese to one side of the tortilla. Keep the cheese about 1/4" from the edge of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half ensuring the edges line up.
  • OPTIONAL STEP: For an extra crispy tortilla crust, add 1/2 tbsp of butter to the pan. Let melt before continuing to the next step.
  • Carefully transfer the quesadilla to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side if using butter. If not using butter, cook for 3-4 minutes per side until the cheese is melted throughout. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  • Repeat until all the quesadillas have been cooked.
  • Slice each quesadilla in half and top with your favorite toppings.

Notes

Note 1. Use 1/2 - 3/4 cup of cheese per quesadilla.  The best cheese for quesadillas: Mexican cheese blend, Monterey jack, Colby, cheddar, gouda, pepper jack or Oaxaca. 
Nutritional information is just a rough estimate and only includes the flour tortillas and cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 572mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 379IU | Calcium: 327mg | Iron: 1mg
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