Quesadillas are basically toasted tortillas with cheese inside. The name in Spanish literally means ‘little cheesy thing’. What constitutes a quesadilla varies greatly between Mexico and its neighboring countries. They agree that the quesadilla and taco or burrito are different; the former being cooked after being filled or stuffed while the later two are filled with pre-cooked ingredients. Also they may be made with flour, corn or wheat tortillas as well as Mexican Masa (tamale version).
The quesadilla originated in central and southern colonial Mexico, beginning as a corn tortilla gently heated until soft enough to fold, then filled with cheese and toasted on both sides until golden and crispy on the outside and gooey with cheese on the inside. Over time, chopped, cooked vegetables and bits of roasted, shredded meat also found their way into these cheesy tortillas.
Influenced by the many micro-cultures of Mexico and Latin America, the quesadilla has been adopted and adapted by chefs and home cooks around the world, especially since the little cheesy things make it so easy to feed vegetarians and meat-eaters at the same table. A vegetarian quesadilla can be as simple as cheese folded into a tortilla. For the meat or seafood lovers, just add some shredded chicken, pulled pork or ‘roasted’ shrimp.
Speaking of shrimp …. to maximize the flavor, don’t sauté them – roast them! Much like roasting meat on the bone, roasting shrimp in their shells gives them a more intense flavor and keeps them from drying out as easily. The flavor from the shells penetrates the flesh, making them even tastier.
Something else I wanted to mention is a suggestion to help make your quesadillas nice and crunchy. Don’t use butter or oil to cook them in, use mayo instead. The fact that mayo contains a bit of sugar will promote browning and also give some extra crispiness.
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- 3 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
- 1 cup zucchini, julienned
- 250 gm mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 454 gm WILD, jumbo shrimp, peeled & deveined
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp EACH garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, salt & pepper
- 4 large flour or corn tortillas
- 100 gm melting cheese such as mozzarella, smoked cheddar, Mexican blend or Monterey Jack, grated
- guacamole, sour cream or salsa for serving
- 3 green onions, sliced for serving
Ingredients
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- In a skillet, fry bacon to a cooked but not real crisp stage. Remove from pan to paper towel. Sauté mushrooms, zucchini & garlic until most of the moisture evaporates. Cut each shrimp in thirds & add to skillet with seasonings. Cook for another minute or until shrimp begins to turn pink. Remove from heat & add cooked bacon & combine.
- Grate cheese. Lightly butter one side each of 4 tortillas. Place on a griddle, & cook until warm & browned slightly. Remove 2 of them & keep warm. To each of the remaining 2, sprinkle with 1/4 of the cheese, top each one with 1/2 of the filling then sprinkle with remaining cheese over filling. Place the 2 warm tortillas on top of the filled ones.
- Place a lid (or a baking pan) over the griddle for a few minutes to give the cheese a chance to melt.
- Remove quesadillas to a cutting board & cut each one into 4 pieces. Serve hot with your choice of toppings.
- As I mentioned in the blog article, roasting the shrimp really intensifies the flavor. If you have the time, try it instead of just sautéing them.
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Preheat the oven to 400 F.
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Place the shrimp (shells-on) on a lightly greased baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and minced garlic.
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Sprinkle evenly with the seasoning (such as Old Bay) and arrange the shrimp in a single layer.
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Bake the shrimp for 8-10 minutes or until just pink and opaque throughout.
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Remove from oven.