Growing up, I ate plenty of cold deli sandwiches for lunch and, for better or worse, that habit has stayed with me. A sandwich consisting of two slices of bread, with deli meat and cheese, mayo and/or mustard tends to be what I have for lunch when I’m at home. It’s hard to get excited about something you’ve eaten hundreds of times so yesterday I decided to break out of my rut.
Naturally I had sandwich fixings in the fridge but instead of two slices of sliced sandwich bread, I grabbed a couple of tortillas. I took two slices of provolone cheese and cut them into strips, ripped a slice of ham into small pieces and dropped the ham and cheese on one tortilla. I covered it with the second tortilla and then poured a little vegetable oil in a skillet. When it was hot, I placed my creation in the pan. After a few minutes, I turned it over to make sure it browned on both sides and the cheese melted.
I enjoyed a warm and hearty quesadilla with mustard and sour cream on the side. What a nice change of pace from cold cuts on sliced bread. It only took 15 minutes to make but you could shave a few minutes off the time since you won’t be taking photos.
Lynne’s Ham and Cheese Quesadilla
2 six-inch flour tortillas
2 slices of meltable cheese, cut in thin strips (I used provolone but cheddar would be delicious, too.)
1 slice of deli ham, torn in pieces
One – two tablespoons canola oil
Mustard and sour cream, for serving on the side
Fruit and pickle (optional)
Place the cheese strips and ham pieces on one tortilla, then cover it with the second tortilla. Pour canola oil in a skillet. When it’s hot, carefully place your quesadilla in the pan, being careful to keep the filling between the tortillas. Quesadillas should be flat so I suggest pressing down on the tortillas with a large glass bowl. Carefully turn over the tortillas after 3 minutes or so to brown the other side. If your tortillas are not flat, press down with the glass bowl. Remove from the heat after two minutes or so, when the tortillas are golden brown and the cheese is melted. Slide onto a plate and cut into four wedges. Serve with mustard and sour cream on the side. If you like, add fruit and a pickle.