Make Your Quesadillas In A Waffle Iron For The Perfect Bite Every Time

When it comes to making the perfect quesadilla, texture is everything — you want to make sure that every bite consists of corner-to-corner crispy tortilla and gooey cheese. While we may be in the habit of reaching for a frying pan when the craving strikes, there's actually another piece of kitchen equipment that is uniquely suited for the task: a waffle iron. This tool is designed to evenly cook food and create more space for crunchy angles to appear, ensuring that you never experience the disappointment of a quesadilla with areas where the cheese hasn't melted or the tortilla is floppy.

To make this meal, you can keep it simple with just tortillas and grated cheese — it'll still taste delicious. However, if you want something a little creamier and more flavorful, try a waffled avocado quesadilla with Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese. As your waffle iron preheats, assemble your quesadilla as you normally would. Spray the hot iron with nonstick spray or your cooking grease of choice. (Butter and vegetable oils can also be used, but it can be tricky to get these to completely cover the plates of the waffle iron.) Set your quesadilla onto the hot surface, shut the lid, and cook for about two minutes, until the ideal balance between melty interior and toasty exterior has been achieved.

Waffle irons have existed in some form for thousands of years — even the ancient Greeks devised a method to cook flat cakes between two hot metal plates. Modern waffle irons are ideal for cooking cheese-stuffed dishes because they offer a controlled environment that produces consistent heat while also applying pressure on the food, shaping it to the rectangular patterns on their plates and increasing the ingredients' surface area. For quesadillas, this means extra nooks and crannies that amplify the crispiness of each bite.

However, some ingredients are better suited for the waffle iron than others. Regarding the debate between flour and corn tortillas for your quesadilla, the decision ultimately rests on your taste preference — but if there's a time to choose flour tortillas, it might be now. Wheat contains gluten, a collection of molecules that, with some kneading and water, creates an elastic dough. In contrast, corn flour lacks gluten, making it less flexible. When pressed in a waffle iron, flour tortillas are more likely to stretch without tearing, unlike corn tortillas.

Once you've made your first waffled quesadilla, you'll be eager to waffle a variety of sweet and savory foods, from risotto to crispy hash browns topped with poached eggs — you could even skip the oven, and make waffle iron cookies for a quick sugar fix. If the mouthwatering allure of a cheese pull captivates you, consider adapting your quesadilla into a waffle pizza by incorporating tomatoes or tomato sauce, along with toppings like olives, pepperoni, or mushrooms.

As you perfect the art of waffling everything, remember that one of the greatest benefits of this tool is its ability to imbue your food with pockets that capture extra flavor. Venture beyond the classic maple syrup and butter pairing, and experiment with various toppings or dipping sauces. Before firing up the iron for a waffled quesadilla, ensure you have some salsa, guacamole, or refried beans ready to serve alongside it.