The grilled cheese sandwich. It’s a classic. Everyone’s eaten one at some point in their life, provided they’re in a financially stable enough position to afford sandwiches (those who aren’t, let us hold a moment of silence for them). The combination of cheese and bread is simple enough, and yet it is closely related to another all-time favorite: the quesadilla.

Little do you realize these two mystical food items are actually closely related, near one in the same. Think about it, now. The grilled cheese is two slices of bread with cheese inside, grilled to melt the cheese. A quesadilla is two tortillas with cheese inside, grilled to melt the cheese. Whoaaaaa, it’salmostlikethey’rehtesamethinggg!!

Who wants to make one? Yeah, everyone does.

One of the bizarre things about quesadillas is that despite being a a basic staple kind of food in Mexican cuisine, in American and other cultures it’s taken on this much more glorious, almost high-class kind of aura. So many dopey, white, suburbanite slobs shill out good money to buy special quesadilla press makers which are really nothing more than a cross between a waffle iron and a George Foreman Grill. Don’t get me wrong, waffles and George Foreman are both great guys, but there’s absolutely no need for a quesadilla maker. If you own a stove, you own a quesadilla maker. And no exaggeration, if you have the ingredients lying around you can pretty much make one in like 10 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 tortillas
• Shredded cheese of your choice (cheddar, mozzarella, jack, Mexican blend, etc…)
• 1 tbsp butter
• Sliced up meat (warmed up) or veggies of your choice

1. Place a frying pan or griddle onto a medium stovetop flame and begin heating it.
2. Once the pan is hot, dab butter onto it and spread it around as it melts and makes a nice non-stick coating.
3. Place one tortilla down onto the pan and sprinkle a generous layer of shredded cheese onto it, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.
4. Lower heat to low-medium and allow the tortilla to heat up. Once the cheese begins to melt, sprinkle your meat and/or vegetables on top of the cheese, followed by another layer of cheese on top. Let the tortilla continue to cook until the bottom cheese is thoroughly melted.
5. When the bottom cheese is thoroughly melted, place the second tortilla on top of it, press it down and carefully flip it over using a spatula.
6. Continue to cook the quesadilla on this side for an additional 3-5 minutes until the bottom is golden brown like the top, and the cheese inside is nice and gooey.
7. To serve, remove quesadilla and place on a sturdy plate. Using a serrated knife, cut through the quesadilla in 2-4 directions like you would a pizza, and eat slices plain or with sauce.

Serves 1 person.

These things are so easy to make. I’m not kidding. They’re probably even easier than grilled cheese, which I just compared them to. The best part is, as I mentioned, you can typically make them with whatever you have lying around, so long as you have tortillas and cheese. Had chicken the other day? Make a quesadilla.  Bought some tomatoes? Make a quesadilla. Had chicken AND tomatoes the other day? You bet your ass you’re makin’ quesadillas!

Pro-Tips

• As mentioned, virtually any and all leftovers can be used in your quesadilla, if you have cheese.  If you don’t have leftovers, you can even simple make a plain cheese quesadilla. But some options for them include chicken, pork, beef, fish, tomatoes, peppers, onions, carrots, beans, bacon, chives, spinach, etc…
• You can use non-stick cooking spray in place of the butter, however the tortillas lose a little flavor if you don’t use real butter. That said, it’s not 100% required for the quesadilla, it just tastes better.
• If you’re not hungry enough for a whole quesadilla, you can instead use one tortilla and simple fold it over halfway through cooking, then flipping.