Cheesy Mashed Potatoes Are The Unusual Upgrade For Quesadillas

Quesadillas are a staple in Mexican cuisine for good reason. They are inexpensive and quick to make, can be filled with a wide variety of ingredients, and are perfect as a light lunch or late night snack. Most of us are familiar with quesadillas filled with cheese (the name quesadilla implies there's cheese involved, but that's a hotly debated issue in Mexico City), sometimes enhanced with shredded chicken or skirt steak, but there is a surprising filling which is widely popular in Mexico: cheesy mashed potatoes. In street stands across the country, a rustic potato mash is one of the preferred fillings for quesadillas, surrounded by crispy corn masa and paired with Oaxaca cheese. 

It's hard to argue with cheesy mashed potatoes, but if you can imagine an improvement, wrapping them with a corn or flour tortilla would be it. Simply mix the mash with your choice of shredded cheese and get your tortillas ready. 

Adding cheesy mash to quesadillas is super easy. Start by adding shredded melty cheeses such as cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Oaxaca, or use mozzarella, Parmesan or Brie for a fun twist. Try swapping the sweet potatoes in this crispy chicken quesadilla recipe for your mashed potatoes. You can also dress up your mash with any spices and ingredients you like. Some ideas could be chopped chives or green onions, bacon crumbles, smoked paprika, or even taco seasoning. The possibilities are endless.

In Mexico, corn tortillas are more traditional for mashed potato quesadillas, which are usually fried in oil to a crispy, golden perfection. If you prefer flour tortillas, a hot skillet or griddle will do the trick. You can make the mashed potatoes fresh, but this is also a great use for leftover mashed potatoes — think about brunch the day after Thanksgiving, for instance. Cheese up the mash, add some shredded turkey, and turn that cranberry sauce into a salsa by adding chopped fresh or pickled jalapeños for a welcome change of pace. Either way, once you try cheesy mashed potatoes in your quesadillas, they might become your favorite addition.