Several years ago I was I visiting my daughter in Colorado, and she served me quesadillas for lunch. I was quite impressed! This was the first time I had eaten them anywhere other than a restaurant. She had a nifty quesadilla maker! She said it was only $20 and that she had gotten it at Target. Well, when I got home, I ran right out and bought two of them, one for myself and the other I gave to my daughter in law. Now I am the first to admit that I am a kitchen gadget junkie, but I'm usually fairly reserved when it comes to small electrical appliances like donut makers, cup cake makers and the like. You know, every year around holiday time the stores are full of them, but I do have a few favorites and later this week, I will do a post just about kitchen gadgets. However, this quesadilla maker is something I use all the time, probably several times a month. It was well worth the money I spent on it. The best thing about it is that with a few left overs, some flour tortillas and some cheese you have dinner in minutes! Literally minutes. The possibilities are endless; there is no limit to what you can put in a quesadilla.
Most of the time, I make them with left over cooked chicken, frozen spinach, which I defrost and drain and shredded cheddar cheese. Put the tortilla on the base of the maker, put a little cheese, add the chicken and spinach and more cheese, cover with another tortilla and close. It kind of works like the George Forman Grill, both sides are heated, so it cooks through. In just a few minutes you have a tasty quesadilla! I use my pizza cutter to cut them up, it seems to work easier than a knife.
Ok, now I do not work for the quesadilla maker people, or Target or any of those places, and I won't get any kind of kick back if you decide to buy one, but I did go online today, and Target still sells them! What's even more amazing is that they are still $19.95! Now, I totally understand if you don't want to buy a quesadilla maker, and you want to spend your hard earned money elsewhere. That's fine, but you can still make quesadillas. The only difference is that you use your skillet. Only fill half of the tortilla and flip the other half over the top of your fillings. This makes it easier to flip the whole thing over so both sides will cook. I imagine you can use a stove top griddle and get the same effect.
So, now that I have convinced you to make quesadillas, what else can you put in them? As I said, the possibilities are endless. What about black beans, peppers, mushrooms, onions, salsa, Monterey jack cheese instead of cheddar, or any combination of cheeses? What about an Italian inspired quesadilla? Use mozzarella, tomatoes, and a little crumbled Italian sausage. Asian inspired? Pork, edamame, onions, peppers and a few shakes of five spice powder or ginger. Breakfast? Scrambled eggs, crumbled bacon or sausage and cheese?
The only word of caution is that whatever you put in a quesadilla must be already cooked, except of course, cheese or veggies. You don't cook a quesadilla long enough or hot enough for eggs or meat to cook. This is why they are so great for leftovers! You have heard me talk often about pantry supplies. I always keep tortillas on hand; they are on my list of staples. You can use them for quesadillas, soft tacos, enchiladas, or wraps. They never go to waste in my house. So go get some tortillas and give quesadillas a try. And when you do, post here and let me know what you put in them. I am always looking for new ideas! Enjoy!
Happy cooking!
Carol
a.k.a. Nonnie
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