Simple and easy cheese tacos recipe made with corn tortillas fried in a little butter, folded over shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. Also known as quesadillas.
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Most kids learn how to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches so they can help themselves in the kitchen when they want to grab some lunch. In our family, it was cheese tacos.
There’s always a stack of corn tortillas in the fridge. There’s almost always cheddar or jack cheese.
I’ve noticed that most of my friends regularly make a quick sandwich for lunch. Maybe I’ll make a sandwich once a month. I make cheese tacos three times a week. (What? You don’t have a stack of tortillas in your fridge?)
You can put anything in a tortilla and call it a taco
Typically, cheese tacos only contain cheese. Add some salsa and you’re done. My cheese tacos are usually a bit more elaborate. I stand by my rule You can put almost anything in a tortilla and call it a taco.
(Note that what we call a cheese taco is considered a quesadilla in many parts of Mexico. However, in northern Mexico and most of the United States, quesadillas are made with flour tortillas, not corn tortillas.)
Here is my very special cheese taco recipe. My grandmother made cheese tacos this way; My mom still makes cheese tacos this way.
Cheese Tacos Secret Ingredient
What’s the secret ingredient that gives these cheese tacos such great flavor? The ingredient my mom, grandma, and I have insisted on using in these tacos our entire lives?
Butter.
Butter usually makes everything better, right? There is no exception here. We butter the corn tortillas before softening them in the pan.
We usually eat corn on the cob with butter, don’t we? Same idea.
As for the extra cheese taco fillings? I’m the only one in the family who puts apple slices in their tacos, which usually raises everyone else’s nose. Like I said, you can put whatever you want in a tortilla and call it a taco, and I like apples and avocados in my cheese tacos.
Cheese Tacos
This method makes delicious, buttery, cheesy tacos. If you avoid butter or frying oil (which you could also use), you can microwave these. First soften the tortillas in the microwave. We use 20 seconds on high per tortilla, with the tortillas sitting on a paper towel in the microwave to absorb moisture. Once they have softened this way you can add cheese and fold them over and heat for a few more seconds until the cheese melts.
ingredients
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Corn tortillas (as many tacos as you like, boxed or homemade)
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butter
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Cheddar or Jack Cheese
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Salsa (homemade or prepared)
- Options:
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avocado
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Apple
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salad
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Strips of cooked chicken, beef, or pork (a great use of leftovers)
method
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Heat the pan, prepare the ingredients:
Heat the Cast Iron Skillet over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, prepare your ingredients. Cut off some cheese slices. Get the salsa out of the fridge. Thinly slice as many apple slices as you want for tacos. (3 tacos, 3 apple slices). Slice, stone, slice and remove desired avocado slices from skin. Slice up some lettuce and leftover meat that you want to add.
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Butter a tortilla and heat it in the pan until it bubbles:
When the pan is hot (add a few drops of water, they should sizzle), lightly butter one side of a tortilla and place in the pan, buttered side down.
Using a spatula, quickly flip the tortilla to the other side and back again and repeat the process until there is melted butter on both sides of the tortilla.
Let the tortilla sit in the hot pan until air bubbles form inside the tortilla.
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Add cheese:
Add cheese slices to one side of the tortilla. Make sure the cheese has room to melt and doesn’t spread all over the pan.
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Flip half of the tortilla over the cheese side:
Flip the side of the tortilla without the cheese over the side with the cheese, as if you were making an omelette. Move the folded cheese taco to one side of the pan. Add a second tortilla, lightly buttered on one side, and repeat the process. You can tell when the taco is done by pressing down on it with a spoon or fork, or the edge of a spatula. If it gives slightly, the cheese has melted and you can remove the taco from the pan.
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Remove from pan, add extras:
You’re basically done with the cheese tacos. Now all that’s left is assembly. Open each taco and add desired ingredients. A slice of avocado, a slice of apple, a piece of chicken, some lettuce. Don’t overdo it or you won’t be able to hold the taco and get it in your mouth. 🙂
Links:
Quesadilla Recipe
