A snack or meal for many college students quickly growing in popularity is the quesadilla. Not a day goes by in which I don’t hear someone ordering one of these cheese filled, pressed tortilla snacks. But you do not always have to make a trip to the Raf to have this savory dish. One of the benefits of quesadillas is that they are ridiculously easy to make. I managed to come up with this recipe simply by improvising with stuff I already had stocked in my fridge.
At its most basic level, a quesadilla only requires two ingredients: cheese and tortillas. I prefer using sharp cheddar cheese on mine, but you can experiment with any kind of cheese you want. And because quesadillas require such simple ingredients, they are easy to cook in a microwave. In other words, they are the perfect dorm food.
To start off, shred some cheese. (You can buy some pre-shredded cheese, which will work fine, I just prefer to grate mine personally.) Distribute the cheese evenly between two tortillas, or if you prefer, one regular size tortilla.
Next, add any additional ingredients you want. As a New Mexican, I took things up a notch by adding some chopped Hatch green chiles. But you can add things like meat, beans or bell peppers to create a whole new level of savory to your quesadilla. If you are going to add more ingredients, I recommend decreasing the amount of cheese a little bit so that your quesadilla does not end up being too full.
The final step is to microwave the quesadilla. Put another plate on top of the folded quesadillas to make sure they retain their shape while cooking. Cook on high for about a minute. (Take note! If you add other ingredients or use a different kind of cheese, the quesadilla may cook slower or faster. My advice if you are experimenting is to cook the quesadilla for 30 seconds and then to bake at 15-second intervals until all the cheese is melted and the quesadilla is hot.)
And the quesadilla is done! That was rather painless. The recipe should not have taken more than five minutes to complete. Perfect for a meal on the go. Cut the quesadilla into thick strips and you can use sour cream, salsa or guacamole to dip these flaky cheese snacks into for some extra flavor. With quesadillas, the possibilities are endless, so don’t be afraid to try something new!
Microwave Quesadilla Recipe
Ingredients
• 2 small flour tortillas (alternatively 1 regular size tortilla)
• ½ cup cheddar cheese (reduce to 1/3 cup if using optional ingredients
• Optional toppings of chile, chicken, brisket, beans, peppers, etc…
Steps
1. Shred cheese and distribute equally between tortillas, only putting cheese on one half
2. Add any other ingredients to the cheese side.
3. Fold tortilla in half, so the cheese will be in-between the two halves. Put a light plate on top so the quesadillas will retain their shape.
4. Bake for about 1 minute on high in the microwave
5. Cut into strips and serve hot.
