Tips for Perfecting Quesadillas

When it comes to Mexican food, quesadillas are a favorite among many. It's no surprise really. After all, what's not to love about toasted tortillas filled with meat, vegetables and cheese? Of course, you don't have to visit your favorite Mexican place to enjoy a good quesadilla. Making quesadillas at home doesn't have to be difficult. The following tips will ensure you make the perfect quesadilla each and every time.

Tip #1: Choose the Proper Pan

A skillet needs to be large enough to hold a large tortilla before it's folded. This allows you to fill the tortilla in the pan, which prevents spilling the ingredients. You also need a skillet that offers even browning. A solid bottomed stainless steel or hard anodized pan works wonderfully, but a cast iron pan can also be used. You can even use a large grill pan, if you prefer.

Tip #2: Keep the Ingredients Simple

Quesadillas are a simple food and don't need to be dolled up with beef tenderloin or fancy cheeses. Grilled chicken, sirloin steak or even chopped pork, seasoned with Mexican spices, is all you need for the meat. As for the cheese, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or a Mexican blend of shredded cheeses works perfectly.

Tip #3: Don't Overfill the Quesadillas

You may be tempted to pile on the ingredients. This is one of those cases where less is more. Overfilling a quesadilla makes it hard to flip and can prevent the cheese from melting in the right amount of time. Overfilling can also make quesadillas quite messy and take away from the finger food experience.

Tip #4: Brown Slowly

While you can easily crank the heat up on high to brown the tortilla, you'll find that the cheese won't melt. Instead, quesadillas should be cooked on medium heat and allowed to brown slowly. This ensures that the cheese melts at the same time that it takes to brown both sides of the quesadilla. Also remember that the second side will take less time to brown than the first. Lastly, never walk away from quesadillas. Tortillas can quickly go from pale to burned, leaving you to start over from scratch.