Quesadillas are a menu filler to me, in most cases. A cheese quesadilla is what you choose at a restaurant where the other options are even less appetizing. It's the go-to bland vegetarian choice, a kid's menu item kind of thing. But here's the thing — it doesn't have to be like that.
I "rediscovered" the joy of the good quesadilla a few months ago when I blindly threw a pack of tortillas in my shopping cart when we were all trying to make our grocery trips only every two weeks. We had a few ears of corn, some cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese, and these tortillas that were just sitting on the counter, flat and taunting me. So I threw them all together, because the combination of corn and cheese is truly under appreciated in every day life.
This is a great work-from-home lunch option because it comes together in less than 10 minutes, including shredding the cheese and cutting the corn off of the cob.
There are eight tortillas in a pack, and its prime corn on the cob season, so I've been averaging about one a week for the past two months. These are pretty unadorned, with no spices or seasonings, which make them good for bland or picky eaters. The rest of us can spice these up as much as we like with our salsa choice.
I've started schmearing my quesadillas with sour cream, then dipping the whole wedge into salsa, or sometimes spooning the salsa on one bite at a time. Some people are okay with dipping into sour cream then salsa, but for some reason, it just ends up a gunky mess for me. Anything to make life easier, right? Even if it's as simple as pre-spreading the sour cream on a quesadilla. That's not to say this isn't still a messy meal, but it's slightly less messy this way. If anyone has any tips on making it even less messier, let me know, I am open to suggestions!
I paired these with a drunken beans recipe I am testing for the Instant Pot. Because come on, if you're making a quesadilla, the last thing you want to do is making something else. So these beans can be made ahead of time in the Instant Pot and kept in the fridge to go alongside your cornsadillas anytime you're in the mood to only be standing over the stove for no more than five minutes. Which, in the summer heat, who is?
Corn and cheese quesadillas
Ingredients
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1 10-12" soft tortilla
- 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 small to medium cob corn* kernels removed
- 2 scallions diced
- salsa and sour cream on the side
Instructions
- Spray a large frying pan with the cooking spray and heat over medium heat until warmed through.
- Place the tortilla in the pan and let heat for 30 seconds. Flip over.
- Add half of the cheese to one half of the tortilla. Immediately add corn and spread evenly, then scallions, and top with the remaining cheese.
- With a spatula, fold over the unadorned side of the tortilla to cover the other side. Press down with the spatula.
- Let heat through for 1 minute, then use the spatula to carefully flip the quesadilla over. Cook for another minute or until both sides are browned and the cheese is melted.
- Cut the quesadilla into 2 or 4 pieces as desired. Top with a thin layer of sour cream on one side of each triangle, and dip into a ramekin of salsa.
Notes
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