From the author: Quesadillas are practically made for the waffle iron. Or . . . are waffle irons practically made for quesadillas? Either way, the two-sided heat and the compression of the waffle iron make for a quick and impressive meal. Quesadillas make the perfect vessel for leftovers, too. They embrace customization and accommodate whatever you have in your fridge. Those bits of chicken or turkey? They’ll fit right in. Some leftover roasted vegetables? They’ll go nicely, too. It’ll be almost like you planned it this way. As the cheese melts, some will inevitably escape from the tortillas. Make the most of this. Use a heatproof spatula to scrape off the crispy cheese from the grid, chop it up, and sprinkle it atop the finished quesadillas as a garnish.
Green Chile Waffled Quesadillas
Iron: Belgian or standard | Time: 10 minutes | Yield: Makes 2 quesadillas
INGREDIENTS
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 4 flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese, such as queso Chihuahua or Monterey Jack
- ¼ cup chopped canned green chiles
- Note: leftover green chiles can be placed in a zip-top bag and frozen. Stir into omelets or cornbread, or use them to top a cheeseburger.
- Preheat the waffle iron on medium. Coat both sides of the waffle iron grid with nonstick spray.
- Place a tortilla on the waffle iron and, taking care because the waffle iron is hot, spread half of the cheese and half of the green chiles evenly across the tortilla, leaving a margin of an inch or so around the edge of the tortilla. Top with another tortilla and close the waffle iron.
- Check the quesadilla after 3 minutes. When the cheese is melted and the tortilla has golden brown waffle marks, it is ready. Remove the quesadilla from the waffle iron.
- Repeat Steps 2 and 3 with the remaining ingredients, cut into wedges, and serve.
VARIATIONS
For a more substantial meal, add one of the following to the tortilla in Step 2:
- ½ cup shredded chicken or pork
- ½ cup sliced steak
- ½ cup refried beans
Garnish with one or more of the following:
- Chopped scallion
- Crumbled bacon
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Guacamole
Will It Waffle?
by Daniel Shumski
How many great ideas begin with a nagging thought in the middle of the night that should disappear by morning, but doesn’t? For Daniel Shumski, it was: Will it waffle? Hundreds of hours, countless messes, and 53 perfected recipes later, that answer is a resounding: Yes, it will! Steak? Yes! Pizza? Yes! Apple pie? Emphatically yes.
And that’s the beauty of being a waffle iron chef—waffling food other than waffles is not just a novelty but an innovation that leads to a great end product, all while giving the cook the bonus pleasure of doing something cool, fun, and vaguely nerdy (or giving a reluctant eater—your child, say—a great reason to dig in).
GET THE BOOK: Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | Workman Publishing
