While many Southerners think of fried chicken and biscuits as comfort food, I have more nostalgia for Mexican food as my childhood comfort cuisine. My family ate tacos, enchiladas, fajitas and quesadillas far more often than meat-and-three dishes when I was growing up, so Mexican food is often what I turn to when I want to indulge in a guilty pleasure.
The interesting thing about different types of cuisine is that some dishes are often the same thing, just with different names across regions and nationalities. This may be controversial, but the quesadilla is really just a sandwich (as is a panini, a hotdog, a gyro, a hamburger, bao buns, the list goes on…). And with a sandwich, the possibilities are endless. Hence, why I love the humble quesadilla.
This Cuban quesadilla recipe hits the spot and calls for common ingredients you may already have at home. The original Cuban sandwich calls for Cuban bread, which has a crispy exterior and chewy interior. With the quesadilla version, you get more fillings and less “bread.” The below recipe for this is a simplified version of this Skinnytaste recipe.
Enjoy!
This Cuban quesadilla is cheesy, melty perfection!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 oz. Tavern deli-sliced ham
- 1 slice regular or reduced-fat Swiss cheese
- 1 dill pickle, thinly sliced lengthwise
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 8-inch regular or low-carb tortilla
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Coat the pan with olive oil and place the tortilla flat in the pan.
- In this order, place the following on the tortilla in the pan: a piece of cheese (or two!), mustard, sliced pickles and 1 oz. of ham. Do not overload on the ham, I promise 1 oz. is enough.
- Cover the pan with a lid to help melt the cheese more quickly
- When cheese is beginning to melt, fold the quesadilla in half and flip to heat other side.
- Remove from heat and cut into 3 pieces.
If you want to make this a meal, consider whipping up a batch of Mexican vegetables to go with your quesadilla. Find the recipe HERE.
Bon appetit!
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