The Key To Perfect Quesadilla Fillings Every Time

Nothing hits like a quesadilla as an afterschool or post-work snack. It's so easy to plop your fillings inside a flour tortilla and cook it to perfection. But, there's potentially a major mistake you're making with your quesadillas that's disrupting their texture. 

Like any good sandwich, you should get a little bit of everything with every bite of your quesadilla. If you leave your toppings whole, including large strips of chicken, colossal peppers, and mounds of cheese, you may not get an even dispersal. Moreover, layering those massive toppings with your cheese won't do any favors. Rather, it just sets you up for cheese that sloshes off to the side and fillings that somehow always manage to fall out. 

Instead, you'll want to chop up all your ingredients, including proteins and vegetables, with your cheese before tucking the mixture neatly inside your wrap. The cheese will act as the glue that keeps the quesadilla shut, and you'll appreciate how you get a little bit of every filling in each bite. Use this trick for conventional pan quesadillas and ones made in the air fryer or on a sheet pan in the oven.

Quesadillas are very adaptable; you can stick to a simple bacon, cheese, and ranch variety or pack in more unconventional ingredients. Regardless of what you select, you'll want to be sure they bring your fillings together using a cheese that actually melts. The wrong cheese can ruin your quesadillas because you might end up with a hunk of cheese in the middle and a quesadilla that isn't sealed shut. Mild shredded cheddar and mozzarella are two options that are rather agreeable for most fillings and melt well. For similar meltability and a better flavor, opt for a Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or the like. And if you don't want to spend too much time grating your own individual cheese varieties, grab a Mexican blend from the refrigerated cheese section of your grocery store. 

Selecting the right cheese is just the start of solving your quesadilla woes. Before you chop up your fillings with the cheese and add it to your tortilla, you should also ensure that all of your individual components are properly cooked as needed. While it might seem obvious to pre-cook elements like bacon, your peppers, onions, and the like also deserve a little time in a pan to soften up before they are added to your wrap. This will ensure that each bite you take is equally as soft and fulfilling as the last.