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Posted on Wed, Mar 20, 2013 : 8 a.m.

Super-stuffed quesadillas are easily adapted to anyone's tastes

By Mary Bilyeu

quesadillas.jpg

Mary Bilyeu | Contributor

Craig likes to make dinner for me. How lucky am I that I've got two handsome, thoughtful men cooking for me lately, with Jeremy having made a simple, elegant, delicious baked egg dish and Craig making these hearty, flavorful quesadillas?

When I make a quesadilla, I sprinkle some grated cheese and some chopped scallions onto a tortilla and then toast it in a skillet until it's golden brown and the cheese has melted; if I'm making one for myself, I'll also add peppers (though no one else that I cook for likes them). Mine are lady-like.

And then there is Craig's version, which is over-stuffed, super-stuffed, and super-sized.

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Mary Bilyeu | Contributor

He first schmears some sour cream onto a tortilla. On top of that goes cheddar cheese, then onion, then yellow rice, then chicken, then chipotle salsa, then — oh, yeah, we're not done yet! — refried beans. Top it all with another tortilla, then fry the entire gigantic quesadilla on both sides, in just a bit of oil, to crisp it. Flipping this baby without spilling it everywhere is an art!

This is consummate comfort food, and it would also be fabulous to serve for a sports event. It's kid-friendly, and can be adapted to suit anyone's tastes.

This is a great dish that requires a knife, a fork, and a hearty appetite!

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Mary Bilyeu writes for AnnArbor.com on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, telling about her adventures in the kitchen - making dinner, celebrating holidays, entering cooking contests, meeting new friends ... whatever strikes her fancy. She is also on a mission to find great deals for her Frugal Floozie Friday posts, seeking fabulous food at restaurants on the limited budget of only $5 per person. Feel free to email her with questions, comments, or suggestions: yentamary@gmail.com.

Go visit Mary's blog — Food Floozie — where she enthuses and effuses over all things food-related; and look for her monthly articles in the Washtenaw Jewish News. "Like" her on Facebook, or send a tweet on Twitter, too.

The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured in this post) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15 and is a wish for all her readers - when you come to visit here, may you always be happy.

Comments

Diana Dyer

Thu, Mar 21, 2013 : 1 a.m.

We LOAD up our quesadillas and 'build-your-own' nachos. They are definitely not 'lady-like' - haha and don't forget the garlic! :)

Jessica Webster

Wed, Mar 20, 2013 : 5:34 p.m.

I never really thought of it that way, but mine are "ladylike" as well. I usually just include some green onions and/or cilantro, and top it with some Cholula sauce when it's ready to eat. Morgan & York occasionally stocks a coconut gouda, and I've come to love quesadillas made with that and served with cilantro and mango. Yum!