Everyone I know loves a taco or three. No one I know loves a taco that's been made using a taco-shell that came out of a box -- they taste like the cardboard they came packed in, and, unless the fillings sit in the shells for several minutes, the shells shatter like glass -- bring out the knives-and-forks because everyone's dinner just landed on their plate. It's a less than ideal situation. In a perfect world, everyone would make fresh corn tortillas from scratch, but, in today's busy real world, that time-consuming process is, frankly, unrealistic. That's where store-bought, soft, fresh corn tortillas come into play. That said, many home cooks have a fear of, or aversion to, deep-frying, which, causes them to resort to buying a box of cardboard-esque taco shells. It's a viscious, frustrating circle, but, there is an easy end-around that solves the problem:
Taco quesadillas -- Quesadillas made w/corn tortillas.
In most American home kitchens, mine included, tacos are considered a relatively easy-to-make meal typically associated with dinner. On the other hand, quesadillas, like nachos, are considered a super-fast way to quell the craving for an any-time-of-the-day cheesy snack. There's more. In my kitchen, like most American home kitchens, tacos are typically associated with corn tortillas and quesadillas are associated with flour tortillas -- don't ask me why because, FYI, there's no culinary rule on that point. That said, on frequent occasions, I combine the two, by turning quesadillas into a knife-and-fork way to serve American-style ground beef tacos (using corn tortillas) into a main-dish -- because they taste the same and they're quicker to make than tacos.
Quesadilla (keh-sah-DEE-yah): A round, flat, cooked-until-soft corn or flour tortilla, folded in half to form a half-moon with a savory filling sandwiched in the center. It is fried on a well-seasoned cast-iron comal (a flat, round griddle), using no or very little oil, although in many modern kitchens, mine included, a grill pan is a common substitution.
Almost any cooked and chopped or shredded meats and/or vegetables can be used as a filling for a quesadilla (fish and seafood are not typically used) -- the meats and vegetables must always be cooked first because a quesadilla cooks in a few short minutes. That said, since "queso (KAY-soh)" is the Spanish word for "cheese": a quesadilla is a container for ooey, gooey melted cheese. Be sure to purchase:
your favorite brand of 6"-round yellow or white corn tortillas
After assembling the ingredients, start to finish, each taco quesadilla takes 5 minutes to layer & cook:
For each taco quesadilla:
2 6"-round soft, fresh corn tortillas
4 generous tablespoons shredded yellow cheddar cheese, divided
4 generous tablespoons (a generous 1/4 cup) American-style ground-beef taco filling, (Note: All taco filling is not created equal. My chunky beef recipe is full of onion, garlic, bell pepper and tomatoes, and, seasoned with my homemade Tex-Mex taco seasoning blend.)
1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil
For my favorite store-bought and fresh toppings and garnishes:
pico de gallo or store-bought salsa fresca
fine-shredded iceberg lettuce and lime wedges
Mexican crema or sour cream
spicy avocado crema or store-bought guacamole
Choose to useall of them, none of them or some of them. Your choice.
~Step 1. Place 1-2 teaspoons oil in an 8" nonstick skillet. Use a paper towel to distribute it evenly in the bottom of the skillet and absorb any excess. Do not turn the stove on yet. Place one corn tortilla in the skillet and scatter 2 generous tablespoons shredded cheese across its surface. Using a spoon dollop and distribute a generous 1/4 cup ground-beef taco filling atop the cheese. Scatter a second 2 generous tablespoons shredded cheese atop the taco filling, then, finish the assembly by placing the second corn tortilla on top of the fillings.
~ Step 2. Turn the heat on to medium- medium-high. Once the skillet heats up, 30-45 seconds, sauté the quesadilla until it is sizzling and light golden on bottom, about 2 1/2-3 minutes. Using a wide spatula, carefully flip the quesadilla over and continue to sauté until the second side is light golden, about 2-2 1/2 minutes. Turn heat off.
~Step 3. The moment the taco-quesadilla is cooked, slide it from the skillet onto a plate. Without delay, spread a generous dollop (about 2 tablespoons) pico de gallo or fresh salsa over the top. Scatter some shredded lettuce (about 1/4 cup) atop the salsa, followed by a dollop of crema or sour cream, a dollop of avocado crema or guacamole, and, a lime wedge. Serve ASAP.
As pretty as a picture, &, hearty & satisfying too:
Pick up your knife, pick up your fork & dig in ASAP:
Cheesy Ground-Beef Corn-Tortilla Taco-Quesadillas: Recipe yields instructions to make as many 6"-round taco quesadillas as you want to.
Special Equipment List: cutting board; chef's knife; 8" nonstick skillet; paper towel; wide nonstick spatula
Cook's Note: Undercover nacho tester. I suppose it could get boring, but, because every eatery I've ever been to makes this Tex-Mex pub-grub staple a bit different, I'd be willing to risk running into some occasional repetition and hard-earned heartburn. From nibbling on basic nachos consisting of deep-fried corn tortillas topped with melty cheese sauce, to digging-into nachos-grande, nachos-supreme, fully-loaded nachos or ultimate-nachos piled high with a plethora of enough savory stuff to qualify for full-meal status, yes, I think undercover nacho tester is a job for me. Try my ~ Na-Cho Mama's Fully-Loaded Sheet-Pan Nachos ~. A perfect ratio of cheese to toppings on every chip.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2021)
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