Skip to main content
ATK Kids

This Quesadilla Has Cheese on the Inside—and Outside

Just when you thought quesadillas couldn’t get any cheesier.
By Published Jan. 12, 2023

To me, the best part of a grilled cheese sandwich or quesadilla . . . or savory crepe . . . is when some of the cheese oozes out during cooking and gets crispy on the surface of the pan.

Which gave me an idea: What if you could make a whole layer of crispy cheese that’s actually part of your quesadilla, instead of just a happy accident?

Want quick, easy, delicious meals to make with your kids?

We can help. Join the 300,000+ families who receive our FREE ATK Kids newsletter!

Well, I did just that and put the recipe in Cooking with My Dad, the Chef—a brand-new gluten-free cookbook that I worked on with my daughter Verveine and America’s Test Kitchen Kids.

In the recipe, I sprinkle half the cheese right onto the hot skillet, where it can get nice and crispy—and it can stick to the tortilla. Then, I put the rest of the cheese inside the quesadilla, where it becomes melty and gooey.

Book

Cooking with My Dad, the Chef

Get 70+ kid-tested, kid-approved (and gluten-free!) recipes for young chefs from James Beard Award–winning chef Ken Oringer and his daughter Verveine.
PRE-ORDER NOW

Tips for Making a Cheese-Crusted Quesadilla

  • Be sure to use a nonstick skillet for easy flipping.
  • Layer cheese (yes, sprinkle it right onto the skillet!), 1 warmed corn tortilla, more cheese, and finally, a second corn tortilla.
  • Cook until the cheese on the bottom is browned and crispy.
  • Flip and continue to cook until the cheese on the inside melts.
  • Serve your quesadillas with toppings such as salsa, guacamole, and/or sour cream—or enjoy all that cheesy goodness on its own.

Hey! Did you know ATK Kids has its very own YouTube channel? Subscribe now and watch great, funny, silly, and delicious cooking videos for the whole family.