Ingredients
- 4 large flour tortillas 10 inches in diameter
- 3 cups grated cheddar about 8 oz (225 grams). Get a block and grate it yourself at home so it melts well.
- 1 lb 450 grams lean ground beef. You can also use a higher-fat ground beef like 15% (85/15) or 20% (80/20). Just don’t add any oil to it when cooking it, and depending on how much fat is released, you may need to drain the excess fat.
- 1 tsp chili powder mild
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp of tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp oil sunflower oil, vegetable oil, or light olive oil. You don’t need oil if using an 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef (only if using 90/10 or 95/5)
- guacamole to serve
- sour Cream to serve
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef. Place a frying pan over medium-high heat, and add the oil to it. Once the oil is shimmering and hot, add the ground beef and sauté, breaking it down with a spatula. Once the beef is no longer pink, and the water it released has evaporated, add salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, chili powder, and tomato paste, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Turn the heat down to medium and add two-thirds cup of water. Cook until the liquid has mostly disappeared (about 7 more minutes), stirring occasionally. Taste it and add more salt if needed.
- Cook the quesadilla. Put a large pan (at least 10 inches in diameter) over medium heat. If the pan is non-stick, you don’t need oil. If using another type of pan, brush the pan with oil so the tortilla doesn’t stick. Then, add the tortilla and sprinkle 3/4 cup of grated cheese all over the surface of the tortilla. Add the cooked beef to half of the tortilla.
- Fold. Once the cheese is half-melted, flip the half without the beef over the half with the beef. Cook on both sides until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden-brown to your liking.
- Serve. Serve immediately with guacamole and sour cream. You can serve the guacamole and sour cream on the side.
Notes
Note: For homemade guacamole, you need 2 large avocados, 1 tbsp of lime juice, 1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro, half a jalapeño (diced), half a tomato (diced), 1 tbsp of diced white or red onion, and a pinch of salt. Cut the avocados in half, take the pit out, and scoop out the flesh using a spoon. Mash it with a pinch of salt and the lime juice. Add the remaining ingredients and fold everything in gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste.