Cheesesteak Quesadillas by Erica

Quesadillas are one of those foods that are so easy to make, yet so easy to get wrong. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you can end up with a quesdilla that’s burnt on the outside and still cold in the middle. Or one that’s nice and warm in the center but still soggy on the outside.

I’m here to show you how to make a quesadilla that’s perfectly melty with a wonderfully crispy exterior. I’m passionate about getting it right. Don’t get me wrong: even if you mess it up a bit, a quesadilla is still yummy. The flavors are there. But if you get it right, it’s die-from-happiness good.

Enough intro. Let’s get into making these!

 
 

The ingredients here are really simple: steak, onions, peppers, cheese. But when you combine them, it makes for a dynamite quesdilla.

 
 

First you’ll want to cook your steak. I chose a New York strip steak, but I have also used a sirloin steak, or you could use a flank steak if you prefer. Keep in mind that the cook time will differ based on how thin your steak is.

Dry the steak with a paper towel and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.

 
 

Get a large cast iron skillet really hot. Add a good amount of avocado oil. Gently lay in your steaks and hear them sizzle. If there’s no sizzle, you did something wrong.

Cook until nicely seared on the underside, about 3–4 minutes. Flip and cook until desired doneness, about 3–4 more minutes. I like to cook my steak until it reaches about 135ºF in the thickest part. If that leaves too much pink for your liking, just cook it until it reaches 140 to 145ºF. Remember that the steak will cook a tad bit more when you fry the quesadilla.

Don’t forget to sear the sides of the steak as well!

Make sure you rest your steak for at least 10 minutes.

If you’re scared of cooking steak, make sure to check out Sommer’s post featuring 5 Best Tips for Cooking Steak.

 
 

In another cast iron skillet, sauté the onions until they’re nice and soft, and the peppers until they’re tender-crisp. Again, go ahead and cook them to your liking. If you can’t stand crispy peppers, cook the life out of them! I won’t judge.

 
 

Remove the veggies from the pan and wipe out the pan. Turn the heat up to high. A hot pan to start with is my first secret to a crispy-but-melty quesadilla.

Melt a tablespoon of butter in the hot pan. Plenty of butter is my second secret to a crispy quesadilla.

 
 

Meanwhile, assemble your quesadilla. Lay out a tortilla on a cutting board and add the cheese, veggies, and steak. In that order.

 
 

Put another tortilla on top and transfer the whole thing to the hot, buttered pan, cheese side down. Immediately turn the heat down to medium-low. Placing the cheese down first gives it the best chance to go all melty. And turning the heat down lets the middle of the tortilla get hot before the outside burns. Those are secrets #3 and #4 to a melty-but-crispy quesadilla.

 
 

Cook until the underside is a nice, golden brown and the cheese is beginning to melt, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until it’s golden as well, about 3 more minutes.

 
 

Transfer back to the cutting board…

 
 

…and slice the quesadilla however you wish!

 
 

I think triangles are the proper way to slice a quesadilla, but if you cut it in strips, I guess we can still be friends.

 
 

Just look at that ooey gooey cheesey goodness!

 
 

And the crispiness on the outside of the tortilla. Oh the bliss!

 
 

Take a moment to marvel at all that lusciousness going on inside.

 
 

One more note about crispiness: I tried using whole wheat tortillas but they just don’t crisp up the same way as the white flour ones. If you’re willing to compromise, you can use a different type of tortilla. Just know that you won’t achieve the same (glorious) results.

 
 

If you give these Cheesesteak Quesadillas a try, make sure to come back and tell me what you think of them! And let us know in the comments what your favorite quesadilla fillings are. I want to give some new flavors combos a try!