1 Dollar Gourmet Quesadilla | But Cheaper

Quesadillas are generally expensive when eating out… on the other hand, Joshua Weissman's completely homemade quesadilla is less than a dollar.

20 ingredientsPrep: 45 minsCook: 30 mins

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Joshua Weissman

Aug 18, 2025

Ingredients (20)

Tortilla Dough

Basic Quesadilla

Gourmet Quesadilla

Directions

Tortilla Dough

  1. In a medium-size bowl, add flour (2 cups), salt (1 tsp), baking powder (½ tsp), and whisk together until combined.

  2. Separately combine vegetable oil (¼ cup) with your warm water (¾ cup), and add it to your flour mixture; stir with a fork until you get a rough dough, then knead by hand for 2 to 3 minutes until you get a smooth dough.

  3. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

  4. Separate your dough into 8 even pieces; roll those pieces on a floured surface until you get circles about 9 inches wide and 0.25 inch thick.

  5. Heat a large cast-iron skillet, dry over medium-high heat; gently lay a tortilla into your hot pan, let it cook and char for about 15 seconds, then flip and let it finish for another 15 to 20 seconds on the other side, place it a towel to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Basic Quesadilla

  1. Add cheese (1 bag) to one-half of your tortilla (1 bag), fold it over; add about 0.5 tablespoonof butter. Then add it to a nonstick pan and toast for about two minutes.

  2. Flip and toast for another one or two minutes.

Gourmet Quesadilla

  1. Heat a medium cast-iron pan, add ground beef (½ lb), cook and mash that, stirring occasionally for four minutes or until the meat has rendered all of its fat and is fully cooked.

  2. Add garlic (3 cloves), jalapeno (1), onion (½), and season it with salt and pepper to taste; saute until all the vegetables have softened and start to caramelize, about 3 minutes.

  3. Sauce.- In a small bowl, mix sour cream (¼ cup), salsa verde (¼ cup), cilantro (½ cup), and season to taste with saltsalt.

  4. In a medium bowl, mix Monterey Cheese (1 cup) and Cheddar cheese (2 cups).

  5. Assembly.- On one of your homemade tortillas, add a couple of spoons full of your salsa-crema on one side, and spread it around on just half. Then add a small layer of cheese (1 cup), followed by a layer of your beef (½ lb) mixture and another layer of cheese (2 cups).

  6. Fold it into a half-moon, add butterbutter to a nonstick pan, heat over medium heat; once melted, add your quesadilla and toast for about 2 minutes.

  7. Flip and toast for another 2 minutes until all the cheese gets melted.

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