There are nights when you can turn out a three course meal with a flick of the wrist and a cheery smile (ok, maybe two courses, or really, who are we kidding, probably just one) but those nights, at least in our house, are few and far between and virtually never on a weeknight. You know what I’m talking about, right? Weeknights (unless you’re a terrific planner) are more like, “it’s already 5:30–I haven’t gone shopping, what can I put on the table before there’s a full out mutiny?!!” If that seems familiar to you, you are going to love these Corn and Green Chile Quesadillas. They’re quick, easy, extremely crowd pleasing and rely heavily on kitchen staples. Hallelujah!

Hectic lifestyle aside, I don’t really need an excuse to make or eat quesadillas. We love, love, love ‘em around here! And it helps that they’re so versatile too!

Especially this version. If you can make it your business to keep a can or two of little green chiles in your cupboard, a block of some sort of cheese that melts well and a stack of tortillas in your fridge, plus a bag of corn in your freezer, you’re basically good to go at any given moment. 

To keep things bright these also have some chopped scallions, fresh parsley and lime zest but you could easily sub in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, mushrooms—your imagination and the contents of your fridge are the only limit!

One thing that sets these apart is the sautéing of the corn, which not only adds more crunch but brings out the natural sweetness of the corn too. So worth the extra few minutes!

Balancing out that sweetness are the green chiles which add that needed little zing.

Then there’s the gooeyness of the melted cheeses—need I say more? And the crunch of the crisped up tortillas. YUM!!

And just like that, dinner is on the table! Yippee! Add a simple side salad and it’s the perfect warm weather vegetarian meal! Not bad for a Tuesday that feels like a Monday, huh? Yikes, I’m going to be messing up the days all week!!

Corn and Green Chile Quesadillas

Serves 4-6 people

Prep Time;  45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn (no need to defrost)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

• 6 ounces cheddar, shredded

• 4 ounce can green chiles, drained and patted dry with paper towels

• Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

• 2-3 scallions, thinly sliced

• Zest of 1 lime

• 8 (ten-inch flour tortillas—or any size you have—you’ll just wind up with larger or smaller quesadillas)

• Salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, guacamole for serving alongside (optional)

The Recipe

1.   Preheat oven to 450º F and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

2.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and when the oil is very hot, add the corn, stirring every now and then, until the kernels begin to brown and start to pop a little. This should take anywhere from 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Let cool a bit.

3.  Meanwhile, add the shredded cheese, green chiles, parsley and scallions to a medium bowl and toss together. Zest a lime into the mixture. Toss in the cooled corn and stir the mixture together well.

4.  Place 2 tortillas on each prepared sheet and divide the mixture evenly between them, spreading the mixture out in an even layer. Top with the remaining tortillas and brush the tops with the remaining oil.

5.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the tops begin to brown. Then use a large spatula to flip the quesadillas over and continue to bake for another 5-7 minutes. Let quesadillas cool for a few minutes. Then use a sharp knife or pizza wheel to cut into quarters or eighths and serve with salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, etc. if desired.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from Dinner Illustrated by America’s Test Kitchen. I tinkered a bit with this—think of this recipe as just a jumping off point.