Corn-tortilla variation · Research Edition
Cheese Quesadillas
White-corn tortillas with mushrooms, sweet corn & chipotle. Four generously filled tortilla sandwiches, crisp at the edges and molten in the middle.
What you are making
Unlike the folded flour-tortilla version, each of these quesadillas uses two thin white-corn tortillas. Mushrooms, corn, and chipotle are cooked before they meet the cheese, so the filling is savory and moist without turning the tortillas soggy.
Cook it
- Cook the filling. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic, corn, mushrooms, salt, chipotles, and 2 teaspoons adobo. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and most visible liquid has evaporated.
- Prepare four sandwiches. Divide the warm filling among four corn tortillas, leaving a small bare border. Add about 2 ounces cheese and ½ tablespoon cilantro to each; cover each with a second tortilla. Press gently.
- Pan-cook. Wipe out or use a second heavy skillet. Heat it over medium heat and brush with a little of the measured skillet oil. Cook one or two sandwiches at a time for about 2 minutes per side, turning carefully with a wide spatula, until both tortillas have light golden spots and the cheese has fully melted. Add a little oil between batches only when needed.
- Cut and serve. Let each quesadilla settle for 1 minute so the filling stays in place. Cut into wedges and serve hot. Offer salsa separately, if desired.
Adjust the heat
Optional, untested variation: for a gentler filling, use one chipotle and 1 teaspoon adobo instead of two and two. For no chile heat, omit both and use a spoonful of roasted poblano strips only if you want a different flavor; the result is no longer the chipotle version shown here. Serve extra salsa at the table so each person can choose.
Other ways to vary it
Optional, untested: replace some mushrooms with sautéed squash blossoms, or use Oaxaca-style string cheese in place of asadero if it melts well. Keep the total cheese near 8 ounces and cook any extra vegetable moisture away before assembly. A fresh-masa fried pocket is a different recipe, not a substitution for these ready-made tortillas.
Keep and reheat
Serve straight from the pan when possible. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), and use within 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet until hot and the cheese melts again; the tortillas will be softer than when first made.
Understand it
Cook the water out first
Mushrooms release moisture in the first skillet stage. Letting that liquid largely evaporate gives the tortilla a chance to toast rather than steam. The melted cheese holds the corn and mushroom filling in place when you cut a wedge.
Know it
Related forms, different methods
Some quesadillas are folded tortillas, some are two-tortilla sandwiches like this one, and others begin with fresh masa. The method and texture change with the form; there is no need to fold a ready-made corn tortilla here.
Sources and edition
About this recipe
This Research Edition is an independent rewrite developed from the owner-supplied scan of Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison’s The Border Cookbook (1995), pages 152–153. It has not been kitchen-tested by The Border Table. Timing and yield are estimates; suggested substitutions have not been tested as written.
- Pati Jinich, Oaxaca-Style Mushroom and Cheese Quesadillas — another documented mushroom-and-cheese corn-tortilla preparation.
- Rick Bayless, Mexico City-Style Quesadillas — contrasting fresh-masa turnovers.
- USDA FSIS, Leftovers and Food Safety — refrigeration guidance.
Published 6 October 2026. See our corrections policy for updates.
