Why You Should Never Use The Sandwiching Technique For Quesadillas

It's hard to imagine a more mouthwatering snack or meal than the quesadilla, from its crisped tortilla to its ooey-gooey cheese to its juicy meat and bright veggies. One of the best things about quesadillas is how customizable they are on those ingredients. You can build your own dream quesadilla as you see fit. There is, however, one thing you should not do when making quesadillas. The debate of whether something is or isn't a sandwich is all in good fun and can pretty much extend to anything consisting of various ingredients tucked between two carb slices. Technically, a quesadilla could fit those parameters. But never actually assemble a quesadilla as if you believe it's a sandwich.

When you're layering your chosen ingredients into your tortilla, you can take one of two approaches. You can spread the fillings over half of the tortilla and fold the other half over, or "sandwich" it: cover one entire tortilla with meat, cheese, veggies, and so on, and then blanket that with another entire quesadilla. The latter method might seem logical, as it's the finished tortilla-fillings-tortilla result you'll end up with. But when you don't use the first technique and fold your tortilla, flipping the quesadilla on your pan becomes impossible. Just try to turn it over without all your ingredients falling right out — and don't say we didn't warn you. 

The other plus of doing the fold approach, the "half-moon" method, is that it's easier to slice into your wedges once the quesadilla is cooked. If you sandwich the quesadilla, you end up with an unwieldy circle that is hard to get a grip on and cut clear across. Whatever fillings managed to stay inside on that flip will wiggle out when you slice it. The half-moon is nice and compact, perhaps even sealed in places by that cheese, and ready to be wedged. 

Half-mooning versus sandwiching is one of the most important tips to remember for making great quesadillas, but it's not the only one — there's a whole, albeit super simple, methodology to making your best quesadilla. Use flour tortillas for extra sturdiness and flexibility, and don't over-stuff with fillings, as they'll compromise the tortilla's integrity, ooze out, and make a mess. On that note, avoid using too many wet ingredients for the same reason — diced tomatoes are a better topping for the finished quesadilla rather than a filling. Cook over medium heat and keep an eye on things — if the tortilla starts to brown too much in one spot, you'll want to flip for an even crisp, and that flipping will be a snap whenever you need if you've done the half-moon technique. With these effortless steps, especially remembering to not "sandwich," any of your next tasty quesadilla recipes will be perfect.