Cheese and Chile Quesadillas

Name: Cheese and Chile Quesadillas
Yield: makes 6 to 12 servings as an appetizer or a midday snack or light lunch
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan, optional; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 pound pasilla or poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves; Twelve 6-inch corn tortillas or eight 8-inch flour tortillas; 1 cup grated Mexican melting cheese, like quesilla, queso asadero, Chihuahua, or Menonita (see page 85), mild Cheddar, or a combination; 1/4 cup salsa (pages 610–612), Guacamole (page 22), or sour cream, optional

December 14, 2011

In their simplest form, quesadillas are warm corn tortillas encasing spicy melted cheese, but the basic construction simply begs to be built upon. See the variations and keep in mind that the possibilities are endless—take advantage of what you have in the refrigerator or garden. Fresh corn tortillas are best, but flour ones are acceptable. You may dry-sauté the quesadillas, with no oil, in a nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet.

Recipe notes

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