Quesadillas with Cheese and Mushrooms Recipe
Quesadillas are thin tortillas with melted cheese inside, folded in half and pan-fried – a bit like very quick Mexican toasties. In Mexico they’re often bought from street stalls as a snack between meals. The mushroom version is mild and popular with children, yet has a slightly earthy flavour that pairs beautifully with stretchy cheese.
These cheese and mushroom quesadillas combine the street-food vibe of Mexico with the familiar, homely pairing of cheese and mushrooms. A thin, lightly toasted tortilla hides a gooey cheese centre and gently sautéed mushrooms with an earthy aroma. It’s a dish that fries in just a few minutes but tastes like a proper, comforting food-truck snack.
Chef's tips
Fry the mushrooms over fairly high heat without a lid – they need to evaporate their moisture and brown, otherwise the filling will be wet and will make the tortilla soggy. Fold the tortillas only once the filling has cooled slightly; this helps prevent the cheese from leaking out the sides while frying. Keep the heat at medium in the pan: if it’s too high, the tortilla will burn before the cheese inside has time to melt.
How to serve
They taste best straight from the pan, cut into wedges and served on a large board with bowls of sour cream, salsa and optionally guacamole. To drink, homemade lime agua fresca or a light beer works great if you’re doing a movie night. It’s also a perfect option for a “build-it-yourself” dinner – put the toppings on the table and let everyone assemble their own quesadillas between frying batches.
Ingredients
- wheat tortilla medium-sized - 8 pieces
- yellow cheese well-melting, grated - 250 g
- button mushrooms sliced into thin pieces - 250 g
- onion thinly sliced into feathers - 0.5 pieces
- vegetable oil for frying the mushrooms - 2 tablespoons
- butter for frying the quesadillas - 1 tablespoon
- sweet paprika, ground for colour and flavour - 0.5 teaspoons
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 18% sour cream for serving, optional - 100 g
- tomato salsa ready-made or homemade, for serving - 100 g
Preparation
- Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes over medium heat until softened. Add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and pepper, and fry for 6–8 minutes until they release their liquid and start to brown lightly. Towards the end add the sweet paprika, mix and remove from the heat.
- Lay the tortillas out on the counter. On one half of each tortilla, sprinkle the grated cheese evenly, then add a portion of the sautéed mushrooms on top. Fold the tortillas in half, pressing down with your hand so the filling doesn’t fall out.
- Melt the butter in a large dry pan over medium heat. Place 2–3 quesadillas in the pan at a time and fry for 2–3 minutes on each side, until the tortilla is lightly golden and the cheese inside is fully melted. If the pan gets dry, add a little more butter.
- Transfer the cooked quesadillas to a board and cut them into wedges like a pizza. Serve immediately with a spoonful of sour cream and tomato salsa for dipping.
Storage
Store cooled quesadilla wedges in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat briefly in a dry pan or in the oven so the tortilla crisps up again and the cheese melts; avoid microwaving for too long so the tortilla doesn’t go chewy.
