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    Home » Family Style Dinners

    The Best Cheese Quesadilla Recipe

    Published: Apr 14, 2022 » Modified: Jun 8, 2022 » By: Kylie » This post may contain affiliate links. » 6 Comments

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    This cheese quesadilla is so simple but so delicious! In less than 10 minutes you can have a cheesy, crispy, warm quesadilla at the ready for a quick lunch or a family-favorite dinner. And the best part? You can add other ingredients to make this a clean-out-the-fridge meal any night of the week!

    White plate with homemade cheese quesadillas garnished with sliced green onion
    Table of Contents show
    You Will Love This
    Ingredients and Substitutions
    Instructions
    Tips
    The Best Cheese for Quesadillas
    Serve Quesadilla With
    Varations
    FAQ
    Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
    Easy Family Dinner Recipes
    The Best Cheesy Quesadilla Recipe

    You Will Love This

    • You'll need just 3 ingredients for this simple comfort food! Flour tortillas, a little bit of butter, and shredded cheese are all it takes to make these delicious cheese quesadillas.
    • It's like Taco Bell, but better - and just as fast. It’s easy to swing by the Taco Bell drive-thru for a fast meal, but making it yourself is so much better! I love copycat recipes and this one tastes just like a Taco Bell cheese quesadilla.
    • If you loved this cheese quesadilla recipe, be sure to check out my:
      • Easy Oven Baked Sheet Pan Quesadillas
      • 10 Minute Cheesy Gordita Crunch
      • Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme
    White marble counter top with ingredients to make easy cheese quesadillas

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Butter - Butter is best for quesadillas but you can sub with olive oil or cooking spray as well.
    • Shredded Cheese - I use a blend of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack and typically shred them myself.
    • Flour Tortillas - Flour tortillas are nice and soft and will brown perfectly in the pan while the cheese melts. You can use any size flour tortilla depending on how large you want your quesadilla. If you're using a burrito size flour tortilla, you can fold it over in half instead of topping it with another tortilla. You could also use corn tortillas if you prefer.

    Instructions

    Melt half the butter in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once it stops foaming, add one tortilla to the pan.

    Black skillet with melted butter in it

    Spread shredded cheese in an even layer all the way out to the edges.

    Black skillet with a tortilla covered with shredded cheese

    Top with remaining flour tortilla. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add remaining butter and cook the other side.

    Black skillet with a homemade cheese quesadilla in it

    Use a pizza cutter to slice the quesadilla in half and then in half again, creating 4 wedges. Serve with Creamy Avocado Sauce, garnish with sliced green onion or chopped fresh cilantro, and enjoy!

    Wooden cutting board with three homemade cheese quesadillas

    Tips

    • Shred your own cheese! Pre-shredded cheese from the grocery store is coated in cellulose so that it doesn't clump together which also prevents it from melting well. Grate your own fresh cheese for the best flavor and texture!
    • Serve with my homemade Creamy Avocado Sauce! Add just a few minutes to your prep time, and throw together my delicious 5 Minute Avocado Sauce - it's the perfect dip for your quesadilla!
    • Spice it up! When you put the cheese on the tortilla, sprinkle with some chili powder, paprika, and cumin to add a little kick, or use your favorite taco seasoning.
    • Scale this recipe to feed your family! This recipe makes just one quesadilla but you can double or triple the amounts of everything to make as many as you want! If you are looking to feed a crowd, check out my sheet pan baked quesadilla recipe which allows you to make several quesadillas all at one time on a baking sheet!

    The Best Cheese for Quesadillas

    Any cheese that melts well will work for quesadillas. However, you can use any combination of:

    • Chihuahua cheese
    • Oaxaca cheese
    • mild cheddar cheese
    • sharp cheddar cheese
    • Pepper jack cheese
    • Mozzarella cheese
    • Monterey Jack cheese
    White plate filled with sliced quesadillas and a bowl of creamy avocado sauce

    Serve Quesadilla With

    • creamy avocado sauce
    • crockpot queso
    • sour cream
    • guacamole
    • salsa
    • hot sauce or taco sauce

    Varations

    Feel free to switch up the ingredients in these quesadillas! A simple cheese quesadilla is delicious but you can also add:

    • fajitas veggies
    • sautéed shrimp
    • shredded chicken
    • seasoned ground beef
    • ground turkey
    • spinach
    • diced tomatoes
    • black beans
    • jalapenos

    FAQ

    What cheese is best for quesadillas?

    Cheddar, Chihuahua, or Monterey Jack - or a mix of all three - are my favorite cheeses for quesadillas. Feel free to use whatever melty cheese you've got on hand and be sure to shred it yourself for the best texture!

    What do you put in a Cheese Quesadilla?

    Cheese quesadillas typically just have cheese but you can add whatever you'd like! Veggies, chicken, and black beans are a few of my favorite add-ins.

    How do you make quesadillas taste better?

    Like most things in life - butter makes it better! A quesadilla will cook nicely in the fry pan without butter, but once you try a quesadilla made with sizzling butter you won't want to make it any other way! Not only does the butter add flavor, it also creates a delicious crispy texture as well.

    White plate with homemade cheese quesadillas garnished with sliced green onion

    Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

    • Make-Ahead: These cheese quesadillas are best served fresh and warm. However, you can make these an hour or so ahead and reheat them just before serving.
    • Storage: Store quesadillas in aluminum foil or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
    • Reheating: Reheat quesadillas a skillet on the stove over low heat until it is warmed through and the cheese is melted. Or, you can also reheat these in the oven on a sheet pan at 350 degrees until warmed through.

    Easy Family Dinner Recipes

    • 30-Minute Sausage Tortellini Soup
    • Easy One-Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup
    • The Easiest 15 Minute Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
    • One Pot Chicken Dumpling Soup (with refrigerated biscuit dough!)

    Questions?
    Leave a comment below!
    Liked the recipe?
    Leave a comment below!
    Made this dish?
    Leave a comment and star rating below!

    Print

    The Best Cheesy Quesadilla Recipe

    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 3 reviews

    In less than 10 minutes you can have this simple cheese quesadilla ready for a quick lunch or a family-favorite dinner.

    • Author: Kylie
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 5 minutes
    • Total Time: 10 minutes
    • Yield: 1 serving 1x
    • Category: Main Dish
    • Method: Stove Top
    • Cuisine: Mexican
    • Diet: Vegetarian

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
    • ½ cup shredded cheese
    • 2 fajita/soft taco size flour tortillas

    Serve with

    • Creamy Avocado Sauce
    • sliced green onion
    • freshly chopped cilantro

    Instructions

    1. Melt half the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
    2. Once it stops foaming, add one tortilla to the pan.
    3. Spread shredded cheese in an even layer all the way out to the edges.
    4. Top with remaining flour tortilla.
    5. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until a dark golden-brown crust forms.
    6. Remove quesadilla from pan and melt remaining butter in the pan.
    7. Flip quesadilla, add it back into the pan, and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes or until a dark golden-brown crust forms.
    8. Use a pizza cutter to slice the quesadilla in half and then in half again. Serve with Creamy Avocado Sauce and enjoy!

    Equipment

    fry pan

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    Notes

    • Shred your own cheese! Pre-shredded cheese from the grocery store is coated in cellulose so that it doesn't clump together which also prevents it from melting well. Grate your own fresh cheese for the best flavor and texture!
    • Serve with my homemade Creamy Avocado Sauce! Add just a few minutes to your prep time, and throw together my delicious 5 Minute Avocado Sauce - it's the perfect dip for your quesadilla!
    • Spice it up! When you put the cheese on the tortilla, sprinkle with some chili powder, paprika, and cumin to add a little kick, or use your favorite taco seasoning.
    • Scale this recipe to feed your family! This recipe makes just one quesadilla but you can double or triple the amounts of everything to make as many as you want! If you are looking to feed a crowd, check out my sheet pan baked quesadilla recipe which allows you to make several quesadillas all at one time!

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 610
    • Sugar: 0.3 g
    • Sodium: 1347.7 mg
    • Fat: 33.9 g
    • Saturated Fat: 16.7 g
    • Carbohydrates: 52.6 g
    • Fiber: 0 g
    • Protein: 24 g
    • Cholesterol: 80.6 mg

    Keywords: taco bell cheese quesadilla, chipotle cheese quesadilla

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sofia Graf

      November 16, 2022 at 6:39 am

      I am impressed by cheese quesadilla as it is easy to cook and full of dairy nutrition. However, besides cheese, I love to add a dollop of grass-fed ghee. It will enhance the recipe flavor and a rich creamy mouthfeel. Benefits of ghee butter and tasteful cooking are the ghee advantages.
      I prefer using Milkio grass-fed ghee for all my recipes.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Kylie

        November 16, 2022 at 7:36 pm

        Ghee is a great addition! Thank you for sharing that, Sofia!!

        Reply
    2. aiden

      November 03, 2022 at 1:07 pm

      yummmmmm

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Kelsey

      June 08, 2022 at 5:41 pm

      Yum! Just fyi though, I think you forgot to include at what point the second half of the butter comes into play. You say to melt half of it before adding the tortilla— I'm thinking maybe you add the second half when you flip it?

      Reply
      • Kylie

        June 08, 2022 at 5:56 pm

        You are absolutely right! I just updated the recipe card instructions to reflect the use of the rest of the butter. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I appreciate it 🙂

        Reply
    4. Luke

      April 14, 2022 at 9:38 am

      My daughter requests these at least once a week. The butter is a total game changer!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

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    HELLO FROM THE MIDWEST - I'm Kylie and as a mom and blogger, I understand how hard it can be to get a wholesome dinner on the table at the end of a long day. Here at Midwest Foodie, I focus on sharing simple recipes that make it easy to feed your family real food.

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