Description
This quick and easy quesadilla recipe features a delicious blend of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses combined with black beans, red bell pepper, scallions, corn, and jalapeño peppers, all folded inside warm flour tortillas and cooked to golden perfection in a cast iron skillet. Perfect for a flavorful meal ready in just 10 minutes, and easily customizable with your favorite fillings and toppings like salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.
Ingredients
Quesadilla Ingredients
- 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
- 1½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1½ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
- ¾ cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup corn kernels, thawed if frozen
- 2 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
For Serving
- Homemade salsa or salsa verde
- Pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare the tortillas and cheese: Lay the tortillas flat on a clean work surface. In a medium bowl, combine the grated sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses by tossing them together evenly.
- Assemble the quesadillas: Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture evenly over one half of each tortilla, leaving the other half bare. Add the black beans, diced red bell pepper, sliced scallions, corn kernels, and sliced jalapeño peppers evenly over the cheese. Top with the remaining cheese, then fold the bare half of the tortilla over the fillings to form a half-moon shape.
- Heat the skillet: Place a dry cast iron skillet on the stove and heat over medium-low heat until hot but not smoking.
- Cook the quesadillas: Add two quesadillas to the skillet at a time. Cook each side for 1 to 2 minutes until the tortillas are browned and crispy and the cheese is melted. If the tortillas brown too quickly before the cheese melts, reduce the heat to prevent burning.
- Repeat cooking: Remove cooked quesadillas from the skillet and repeat the cooking process with the remaining quesadillas.
- Serve: Slice the quesadillas into wedges and serve immediately with your choice of homemade salsa or salsa verde, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and chopped fresh cilantro.
Notes
- You can customize this recipe by adding cooked chicken, sautéed mushrooms, or other vegetables to the filling.
- Adjust the spiciness by reducing or omitting the jalapeño peppers.
- Use a non-stick skillet if you do not have a cast iron skillet, but cast iron gives the best crispy texture.
- Keep the heat low to ensure the cheese melts thoroughly without burning the tortillas.
- Leftover quesadillas can be refrigerated and reheated in a skillet or air fryer for best texture.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican