Cheese Crusted Quesadillas

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Cheese Crusted Quesadillas: gooey cheese inside, crispy cheese outside, and enough cheesy goodness to spark a family feud.

Cheese Crusted Quesadilla served with sour cream and salsa.

Best Cheese Quesadilla

crispy cheese-crusted quesadilla topped with cilantro.

I love the crunchy, cheese that leaks out of a quesadilla and gets crispy on the pan. It's a cook's treat that I don't tell anyone in my family about.

But then I thought... wait a minute... Why don't I just make the entire outside of my cheese quesadilla crispy, crunchy cheesy? Brilliant!

Well, I thought I was creating a world-shattering idea with this 3 Ingredient Cheese Crusted Quesadilla, but come to find out, Qdoba offers them on occasion. But not for like $0.32 cents like we can make at home. So, this recipe is a winner on all accounts. Delicious and inexpensive!

You might have noticed I've been on a quesadilla kick lately. Evidenced by my Big Mac Quesadilla, BLT Quesadilla, and Strawberry Cheesecake Quesadilla. I suggest you try them all.

Ingredients

Shredded Cheese - Flavor of your choice. I used a combination of fresh shredded sharp cheddar cheese and a swiss/gruyere cheese.
Tortillas - Flour tortillas are my favorites, but corn tortillas work too.
Butter - Smoothed on the outside of the tortilla for perfectly toasted quesadillas.
Toppings and additional fillings of your choice - Rotisserie chicken, pico de gallo, sour cream, sauteed vegetables such as red bell pepper or onions, carne asada, black beans, green onion, cilantro, ground beef,

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Cheese Crusted Quesadillas

Heat a medium skillet or griddle over medium high heat. Melt 1 teaspoon of butter in the pan.
Butter the outsides of each flour tortilla.
Next sprinkle the pan with shredded cheese of your choice.
Place tortilla butter side down on top of the cheese.
Sprinkle more cheese on the tortilla and top with the second tortilla with the buttered side facing up.
When the cheese has browned slightly and the inside cheese starts to melt lift the quesadilla and sprinkle more cheese in the bottom of pan before flipping the quesadilla over.
Cook until the bottom later of cheese is golden brown and the inside cheese is melted.
Cut into triangles and serve with toppings of your choice.

Hint: Shred your own cheese for the best flavor and meltability.

melting cheese for the crust on the cheese crusted quesadilla.

adding the cheese to the tortilla for cheese-crusted quesadilla.

Substitutions

The best part about quesadillas is they are easy to customize for each person's preferences.

Low Carb - use the low carb flour tortillas
Gluten Free - substitute gluten free tortillas or corn tortillas
Mayonnaise - Use mayo instead of butter for a crispy outer crust

Variations

Crispy Chicken Quesadilla - add rotisserie chicken or other cooked chicken to the filling
Veggie Deluxe Quesadilla - add grilled onions, peppers, or any other veggies to the filling
Air Fryer Chicken Quesadilla - cook in your air fryer for 6-8 minutes or until the outside is crispy and the middle is full of melted cheese

See this Air Fryer technique on my website!

Storing Cheese Crusted Quesadillas

Quesadillas come together very quickly so I usually make them to order and everyone usually easts the entire quesadilla. However, if you make extras, store remaining quesadillas in the fridge for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container.

To prevent the tortilla from getting soggy, store all toppings separately.

Reheat quesadillas in skillet over medium heat.

Top tip

Be sure to keep a close eye on while cooking to prevent the cheese from burning. And use a nonstick pan or one that releases food easily.

FAQ

How to get a quesadilla crispy?

Use a small amount of butter to get a crispy quesadilla. Over use of butter can make the outsides soggy.

What is the best type of cheese for quesadillas?

Cheddar, Monterey, and Gruyere are my favorites, but use any cheese you like that melts well. If you have access Oaxaca cheese or Chihuahua cheeses are great traditional Mexican cheese.

melted cheese pull on the cheese-crusted quesadilla.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:

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Food safety

We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.

Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
Wash hands after touching raw meat
Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
Never leave cooking food unattended

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.