Quesadillas

From queso (cheese in Spanish) plus a diminitive ending (-illa): "little cheese thing," quesadillas are tasty treats.

—	flour tortillas
—	multiple cheeses (Monterey Jack, Cheddar*)
—	thin-strip or shredded meats
—	aromatics and fillers

^* There exist formal, authentic Mexican cheeses you should discover. The ones listed here are gringo approximations.

Tips

Quesadillas are easily made, but there are some tricks that help improve to the level of restaurant-quality.

• Look for and purchase fresh, unbaked (raw) tortillas that you'll cook yourself when needed. They keep well in the refrigerator and are much tastier.
• Do not layer filling on the tortilla ingredient upon ingredient. Instead, premix fillings ahead of time. This ensures cheese surrounds all ingregients.
• Start tortilla in a large comal, skillet or on a griddle with plenty of oil to ensure perfect contact and heat distribution.
• Distribute filling on one-half of the tortilla minus a margin around the edges. Fold. This margin will fill up with the melting cheese as it overflows.
• Shuffle around the folded quesadilla in the pan to ensure more even heat distribution during cooking. Cook both sides. Do not overcook or over-crisp.