Three Cheese Quesadillas With Garlic Butter

The only thing better than melted cheese is when three (or four or five) cheeses are melted together. In college, quesadillas served me well for lunch, dinner, and midnight snacks. Sometimes I would be so lazy (or stressed), that all I could manage was to put two slices of processed cheese in the middle of a tortilla and pop it into the microwave for 30 seconds. Thank god I don't do that anymore! 

My brother has been home from the Navy for the holidays (YAY!), and he eats pretty much everything. So I was surprised at his gruntled response and lack of enthusiasm when I said I was making quesadillas with three cheeses, including goat cheese. I felt he had biased preconceived notions of the lovely cheese, so I decided it was time to prove him wrong. After all, what are sisters for?

Three-Cheese Quesadillas with Garlic Butter

Adapted from Fine Cooking

Serves 4

2 small garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 tablespoons butter, melted

8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)

1 ¼ ounces finely grated Parmesan (1/2 cup)

4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)

4 9 or 10 inch tortillas

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Heat the oven to 200 degrees.

In a small pot, bring 2 cups of water to boil over high heat. Add the garlic cloves and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain the garlic, let it cool slightly, peel ,and put it in a small bowl. With a fork, mash the garlic to a coarse paste and then add the butter. Mix well.

In a separate medium bowl, combine the Monterey Jack, Parmesan, and goat cheese.

In a 10- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook two of the quesadillas (I did one at a time), covered, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Uncover and flip the quesadillas. Cook until the second side is golden brown and the cheese has melted completely, about 2 minutes. 

Spread the garlic butter on one side of each tortilla and set the tortillas on a work surface, buttered side down. Distribute the cheese mixture among the tortillas, covering only half of each and leaving a 1-inch margin at the edge. Fold the tortillas in half to enclose the filling, creating a half-moon.

In a 10- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook two of the quesadillas (I did one at a time), covered, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Uncover and flip the quesadillas. Cook until the second side is golden brown and the cheese has melted completely, about 2 minutes. 

Transfer the quesadillas to the oven to keep warm and repeat with the remaining two quesadillas. (You can hold the cooked quesadillas in the warm oven for up to 30 minutes.) Cut the quesadillas in half (or smaller wedges if serving as an hors d’oeuvre) and serve.

I served these quesadillas up with some spicy salsa and challenged my brother to NOT like these. He took one bite. Then he took another. When he kept eating them without really saying anything I knew I had won. Even though we are both full grown adults, I still get an absurd amount of pleasure from proving him wrong (I mean, he is my big brother). 

Clearly the quesadillas were a hit! The combination of the cheeses was perfect. The tanginess of the goat cheese was just the right touch to make your taste buds know that this was not your average quesadilla. I also opted to use the multigrain tortillas and I really liked the flavor they added as well. The best thing about this recipe, is that it is uber adaptable. You can add just about anything you like and it would taste great. Next time, I'm thinking about adding some marinated chicken with peppers. 

If you really don't like goat cheese, I suggest cutting back on the amount you use. But really, give it a try! 

Happy Eating!