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Step by Step Instructions:
To make the standard cheese quesadillas, I used the following ingredients: Kosher Salt, Canola Oil, Pickled Jalapeno Peppers, (Tortilla Land) Flour Tortillas, and your choice of cheeses (I went with a combo of medium and sharp Cheddar Cheese).
To make a quesadilla of the bacon and scallion variety, I used: Thinly sliced Scallions, Crispy Bacon strip, Canola Oil, Pickled Jalapenos, (Tortilla Land) Flour Tortillas, Kosher Salt, and your choice of Cheddar Cheese.
To put together the black bean and corn quesadillas, I needed the following ingredients: Rinsed and drained canned Black Beans, Finely Diced Red onion, Canola Oil, Pickled Jalapenos, (Tortilla Land) Flour Tortillas, Kosher Salt, Chili Powder, Frozen Corn that had been thawed, Fresh Lime Juice, Garlic Clove, and Grated Pepper Jack Cheese.
I started out by getting as much cutting done as I could before I was ready to begin cooking. This made my cook time fly by. I first rinsed and drained a can of black beans, Finely Chopped a Red Onion, Rinsed 1/3 cup of frozen corn with hot water until they were thawed, Finely Sliced One Scallion. I also cooked my bacon by using a pair of kitchen shears and cutting the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and then frying it in a pan until they were nice and crispy. Finally I minced one clove of garlic.
Then I heated a pan over medium-high heat. Once it was hot, I added the corn…
…and cooked it for 3-5 minutes until it was browning. I set the corn aside in a medium sized bowl.
I added two teaspoons of canola oil to the pan.
When the oil was hot, I added the onions and cooked them for a couple of minutes until they were more tender.
Then I measured 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder and my teaspoon of minced garlic and added these to the onions. I cooked the mixture for a minute or so.
The black beans (1/3 cup) get added next and the mixture is stirred until the beans are warmed through.
The corn gets added back to the pan and I used the back of my wooden spoon to gently mash the black beans.
When the beans are mashed, transfer the mixture to the bowl the corn was in. Add a teaspoon of lime juice and a very small amount of salt for seasoning. Mix it up and set the bowl aside.
Now it’s time to assemble the quesadillas. Above is a skillet over medium-high heat. To that, I added my quesadilla and cooked each side until they were browned and bubbling up. It’s hard to see in the photo but the tortilla is bubbling up which means you can flip to the other side. It only takes seconds for this to happen, so keep an eye on them. You’ll want to brown each side.
Then move the quesadilla from the skillet to a cutting board. Fill it with whatever filling you are using. Above is the cheese quesadilla. I have a combination of sharp and medium cheddar cheese as well as a sprinkling of some pickled jalapenos.
Then fold the tortilla over and use a pastry brush to lightly brush canola oil on the tortilla side and sprinkle a tiny bit of salt on the oiled side.
Then transfer the two quesadillas to the skillet with the oiled side down. Then oil and salt the other side.
Then let the quesadillas brown about 1-2 minutes on each side depending upon how hot your pan is.
For the black bean quesadillas, I did the same process to cook them as the cheese quesadillas above. This time I filled them with pepper jack cheese, about half of the black bean and corn mixture and then a little sprinkling of the pickled jalapenos and top with a little more cheese if you’d like. Then follow the browning process above by oiling and salting the outside of the tortillas as you brown each side.
For the bacon and scallion quesadillas, I also did the same cooking process as out lined above. For this filling, I sprinkled some cheddar cheese, about half of the cooked bacon strips, and about half of the sliced scallions along with a sprinkling of pickled jalapenos. I topped with a little more cheddar cheese. Be sure with all of these tortillas to not let the cheese go more than within 1/2 an inch of the outside edge of the tortilla to prevent the fillings from oozing out. Then follow the browning process above by oiling and salting the outside of the tortillas as you brown each side. Let the quesadillas sit at least 3 minutes before cutting them into three pieces.
Quesadillas
Makes 2 Folded 8-Inch Quesadillas
Ingredients:
2 plain flour tortillas , eight-inch
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese or shredded Monterey Jack (3 ounces)
1 Tablespoon minced pickled jalapeños (optional)
Vegetable oil for brushing tortillas
Kosher salt
Preparation Instructions:
1. Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Place 1 tortilla in skillet and toast until soft and puffed slightly at edges, about 2 minutes. Flip tortilla and toast until puffed and slightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Slip tortilla onto cutting board. Repeat to toast second tortilla while assembling first quesadilla. Sprinkle 1/3 cup cheese, and half of jalapeños, if using, over half of tortilla, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Fold tortilla in half and press to flatten. Brush surface generously with oil, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside. Repeat to form second quesadilla.
2. Place both quesadillas in skillet, oiled sides down; cook over medium heat until crisp and well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Brush surfaces with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Flip quesadillas and cook until second sides are crisp and browned, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer quesadillas to cutting board; cool about 3 minutes, halve each quesadilla, and serve.
Cheddar, Bacon, and Scallion Quesadillas
Makes 2 Folded 8-Inch Quesadillas
Ingredients:
2 strips bacon , cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
2 plain flour tortillas , eight-inch
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
1 Tablespoon thin-sliced scallions
1 Tablespoon minced pickled jalapeños (optional)
Vegetable oil ( or substitute bacon fat)
Kosher salt ( omit if using bacon fat)
Preparation Instructions:
1. Fry bacon strips in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate; pour fat into small bowl and reserve, if desired. Wipe out skillet with paper towels.
2. Heat skillet over medium heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Place 1 tortilla in skillet and toast until soft and puffed slightly at edges, about 2 minutes. Flip tortilla and toast until puffed and slightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Slip tortilla onto cutting board. Repeat to toast second tortilla while assembling first quesadilla. Sprinkle 1/3 cup cheese, half the bacon, 1 tablespoon scallions, and half of jalapeños, if using, over half of tortilla, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Fold tortilla in half and press to flatten. Brush surface generously with oil or bacon fat, sprinkle lightly with salt (omit if using bacon fat), and set aside. Repeat to form second quesadilla.
3. Place both quesadillas in skillet, oiled sides down; cook over medium heat until crisp and well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Brush surfaces with oil or bacon fat and sprinkle lightly with salt. Flip quesadillas and cook until second sides are crisp and browned, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer quesadillas to cutting board; cool about 3 minutes, halve each quesadilla, and serve.
Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas with Pepper Jack Cheese
Makes 2 Folded 8-Inch Quesadillas
Ingredients:
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels , thawed
2 teaspoons vegetable oil , plus more for brushing tortillas
1/3 cup minced red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/3 cup black beans (canned)
2 teaspoons lime juice
Kosher salt
2 plain flour tortillas , eight-inch
2/3 cup Pepper Jack cheese (3 ounces)
1 Tablespoon minced pickled jalapeños (optional)
Preparation Instructions:
1. Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until kernels begin to brown and pop, 3 to 5 minutes; tranfer corn to medium bowl. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering; add red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minutes; stir in beans and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Return corn to skillet and toss to combine; gently press mixture with spatula to lightly crush black beans. Transfer mixture to now-empty bowl, stir in lime juice, and season to taste with salt.
2. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and return pan to medium heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Place 1 tortilla in skillet and toast until soft and puffed slightly at edges, about 2 minutes. Flip tortilla and toast until puffed and slightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Slip tortilla onto cutting board. Repeat to toast second tortilla while assembling first quesadilla. Sprinkle 1/3 cup cheese, half the corn and bean mixture, and half of jalapeños, if using, over half of tortilla, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Fold tortilla in half and press to flatten. Brush surface generously with oil, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside. Repeat to form second quesadilla.
3. Place both quesadillas in skillet, oiled sides down; cook over medium heat until crisp and well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Brush surfaces with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Flip quesadillas and cook until second sides are crisp and browned, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer quesadillas to cutting board; cool about 3 minutes, halve each quesadilla, and serve.
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