These corn and mild cherry pepper quesadillas are inspired by elotes — Mexican street corn rubbed with chili, finished with lime and cheese.
Earlier this month I hosted a Mexican-themed celebration for Dave’s birthday. We offered a taco bar with seasoned ground beef, chipotle honey lime pulled pork, and a sweet potato, black bean and corn option. There were also two kinds of empanadas, queso dip, guacamole, tortilla chips, Mexican tomato salad and Mexican corn salad — plus margarita, Mexican hot chocolate and churro cupcakes.
The corn salad, a take on a popular grilled Mexican corn salad, was a standout and disappeared fast. It was easy to make and adaptable, though I left out the mayo because I prefer to avoid it.
I wanted to reuse those flavors in a new way and decided to turn the corn salad into a quesadilla filling — an easy trick to get my son Liam to join the family meal. A quick sauté of corn and cherry peppers mixes well with cheese and tortillas for a simple weeknight dish.
To add a bright, mildly tangy note I included diced cherry peppers, also known as pimiento peppers. They are one of the mildest pepper varieties, so they give flavor without too much heat. Finish the quesadillas with a squeeze of lime just before serving to brighten the dish.
Corn and Cherry Pepper Quesadillas
4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 2 cherry peppers, seeds and membranes removed, diced
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon snipped chives
- 8–10 4-inch flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Colby cheese
- ½ cup Cotija or ricotta salata cheese, crumbled
- 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon of the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and diced cherry peppers, season with chili powder and salt, and sauté 3–5 minutes until the corn is warmed and the peppers begin to soften. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the chives.
- Wipe out the skillet and return to medium heat. Brush or spread the remaining oil over the skillet. Place a tortilla in the pan and spread about ½ cup of the corn-pepper mixture over one half. Top with about ½ cup shredded cheese and 2 tablespoons of the crumbled cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and press gently. Cook 1–2 minutes until the bottom is crisp and lightly browned, then carefully flip and brown the other side.
- Transfer the cooked quesadilla to a cutting board and cut into 3 or 4 wedges. Squeeze a lime wedge over the pieces for a bright finish.
- Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Serve warm with your favorite Mexican accompaniments.
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Inspired by a grilled Mexican corn salad recipe from Cooking Light.