Quesadilla rellena A Flavorful Stuffed Quesadilla Delight

Quesadilla rellena is a Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla that is filled primarily with cheese. Sometimes meat, spices, and other fillings, and then cooked in a frying pan or stove. Traditionally , corn tortilla is used , but it can also be made from flour tortilla .

A complete quesadilla consists of two tortillas sandwiching a layer of cheese between them. Half is a single tortilla that has been filled with cheese and folded into a crescent shape.

Quesadilla rellena originates in colonial Mexico. Quesadilla as a dish has changed and evolved over the years as people have experimented with its various variations.

Original Mexican quesadilla rellena

In central and southern Mexico, a quesadilla rellena is a flat circle of boiled corn mas, called a tortilla, warmed to soften it enough to fold in half and then filled. They are usually stuffed with Oaxaca cheese, a stringy Mexican cheese made by the method of “pasta filata” (elongated cottage cheese). Then the quesadilla is cooked on until the cheese completely melts. They are usually prepared without the addition of oil. Quesadillas rellana are frequently accompanied by green or red salsa, diced onions, and guacamole. Although Oaxaca cheese (or thread) is the most common filling,

other ingredients are used in addition to cheese or even instead of it. These can be boiled vegetables, such as potatoes with chorizo, pumpkin flowers, mushrooms, epazote, huitlacoche and various types of cooked meat, such as chicharron, chicken or beef tinga, or boiled pork. In some places, quesadillas are also decorated with other ingredients in addition to the existing fillings. The most common are avocado or guacamole, chopped onions, tomatoes, serrano chili and cilantro. Salsa can also be added as a filling.

Blue corn quesadillas

Mexican quesadilla rellana are traditionally prepared on komal from which tortillas are also made. Alternatively, quesadillas can be fried in oil to make quesadillas frita. The main difference is that if the traditional ones are prepared by filling partially cooked tortillas, and then cooked until the cheese melts, then the fried ones are prepared like a cake: the raw dough is prepared in small circles, then covered with stuffing and finally fold the quesadilla to form the dough. Then it is immersed in hot oil until it becomes golden and crispy.

An alternative choice is to utilize wheat flour tortillas, particularly in Northern Mexico. Wheat dough is most often used instead of corn dough. In this case, the flour tortilla is cooked, folded and filled with cheese (mainly chihuahua cheese or queso menonita, a local cheese made by Mennonites). The cooking method is exactly the same as that of the corn variety.

While quesadilla rellena in most of Mexico come with cheese, the quesadilla culture is different in Mexico City, where they don’t come automatically with cheese unless you ask for it. The origin of this cultural trend is unknown.

Sometimes cheese and ham are sandwiched between two flour tortillas, and then cut into slices to serve in Mexico what is usually called syncronizada (from Spanish “synchronized”). Despite the fact that it looks almost the same as a quesadilla, it is considered a completely different dish. Tourists often confuse cinconizada with quesadilla because it is commonly called quesadilla in most Mexican restaurants outside of Mexico.

Quesadillas  regional favorite

Quesadilla rellena is a regional favorite in the southwestern United States, where it looks like a grilled cheese sandwich with local ingredients added. The flour tortilla is heated in a frying pan, then turned over and sprinkled with grated, usually with a high moisture content, melting cheese (queso quesadilla), such as Monterey Jack, Cheddar cheese or Colby Jack. Once the cheese has melted, you can add other ingredients, such as grated meat, pepper, onion or guacamole, and then it is folded and served on the table.  A quick version of quesadilla, a cheese tortilla, is heated in the microwave and often served to children.

Another cooking method involves cheese and other ingredients sandwiched between two flour tortillas, while the whole package is grilled in a greased frying pan and turned over so that both sides are cooked and the cheese is melted. This version is often cut into wedges for maintenance.

For the production of this type of quesadilla rellena, household appliances are sold (the manufacturer of the quesadilla), although it does not use oil and cooks both sides at the same time. This type is similar to the Mexican sincronizada ; but in the United States, beef or chicken fajita or other ingredients are often added instead of ham. This type of quesadilla is also Mexican and is called “gringa” (the name changes in some regions of Mexico, including a type of quesadilla called “chavindeca”).

Regional variations of specific recipes in Southwest

Quesadilla rellena have been adapted to many different styles. In the United States, many restaurants serve them as appetizers, adding their own flavor. Some variants use goat cheese, black beans, spinach, zucchini or tofu.  A variant combining the ingredients and technique of making quesadillas with pizza stuffing has been described as a “pizzadilla”.

Even dessert quesadillas are made from ingredients such as chocolate, toffee, caramel and various fruits.

Quesadillas for breakfast are also made from ingredients such as eggs, cheese and bacon.

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