Recipe for 4 people as a main course
The Quesadilla has its origins in Mexico from the 16th century. Quesadillas can be filled with any number of fillings. They are made with either flour or corn tortillas but all have one thing in common: melted cheese! Mexican quesadillas usually use “Oaxaca” cheese or “Queso Fresco” (Mexican fresh cheese) for the filling. The classic Tex-Mex version uses Cheddar. In addition to the cheese, you can add grilled meat and/or vegetables according to your taste. Of course, they also taste delicious just with cheese!
Quesadillas can be eaten as a main course or cut into wedges and served as an appetizer or party snack and shared among friends. They are also the ultimate finger-food.
Each quesadilla is finished in a frying pan or grill pan. In our recipe we use meat and vegetables, which are cooked in a separate step.
Because the quesadilla cooks very quickly in the frying pan, it is necessary to cook or grill the meat and vegetables fully beforehand.
Quesadillas – “Panini Tex-Mex Style”
ingredients
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (per quesadilla)
2 bell peppers (green, yellow or red), thinly sliced into strips
1 onion, thinly sliced
Optional: table salt (to taste)
Optional: Ground black pepper (to taste)
500g meat (chicken breast, beef steak such as «Plätzli-à-la-Minute» or rump steak)
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder or paprika powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp butter
4 tortillas (wheat or corn flour)
200g grated cheddar cheese
Directly on the table:
Rio Grande Tex-Mex Salsa ("Trail Rider" or "Bull Rider")
Guacamole or sliced ripe avocat
sour cream
preparation
Prepare meat and/or vegetables
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Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan and then begin to sauté the meat until about half done
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Add the vegetables (cut into strips) and continue to fry for about 5 minutes, until the meat is fully cooked and the vegetables are cooked and caramelised
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Season with chili powder, salt and pepper according to taste.
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Remove the meat-vegetable mixture and hold to the side
** Special Tip **
for the ultimate flavour and if you have the time and good weather, we recommend grilling the meat and vegetables on the barbecue instead!
Assembling the Quesadilla
Each quesadilla is made separately in the frying pan, so the following procedure will be repeated 4 times. The goal is to make a kind of “panino” with the tortilla, meat-vegetable mixture and cheese.
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Put a small amount of butter in a clean non-stick pan and let it melt
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Lay one tortilla flat into the hot pan
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Immediately spread ¼ of the grated cheese across the entire tortilla. The cheese will begin to melt as the tortilla warms up.
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Spread ¼ of the meat-vegetable mixture across ONLY HALF of the cheese-covered tortilla.
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As soon as the cheese is approximately half-melted (ca. 2-3 minutes), carefully fold the side without the meat-vegetables with a spatula over the side with the meat and vegetables, resulting in a half-circle shape.
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Let the tortilla “half-circle” continue to cook another 2-3 minutes, flipping occasionally, until the cheese inside is completely melted and the tortilla is lightly toasted.
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Tip: if the tortilla becomes toasted before the cheese inside is fully melted, it is necessary to turn the stove temperature down.
One quesadilla is sufficient as a min course for one person an can be eaten immediately. Or, they can be cut into wedges, stacked up on a plate and served as a party snack!
Enjoy
Before you bite in, remember to spoon some Rio Grande Tex-Mex Salsa over the top, or use as a dip. Sour cream and guacamole or avocado also make excellent accompaniments!