“Mom, can you make me a TCT? You do it so much better than me?” is something I hear a lot from my teen daughter. It’s her favorite snack. Since I’m glad she still wants to spend time with me, I jump at the chance to visit with her as our collaborated efforts whip up this nutritious treat.
Depending on what part of the country you live in, you may have heard them called TCTs, short for Toasted Cheese Tortillas, or Quesadillas, or as my friend calls them, Mexican Grilled Cheese Sandwiches – she’s from Mexico and gets a kick out of calling them that.
It’s such an easy snack to make. The ingredients are even more simple: Flour tortillas and cheese. Keeping a zip lock bag full of grated cheese on hand makes this snack even more convenient. We like some pretty spicy picante sauce or salsa to dip the pieces in, however it’s not a requirement. They taste delicious plain, too.
I take a large skillet, heat it up, put a flour tortilla in and flip it several times till it’s hot and toasted. Then I put it on a plate and she sprinkles sharp cheddar cheese on it. Grabbing another tortilla from the bag, I heat it up as I did the first one. When it’s hot and toasted, I place it on top of the cheese and press it down firmly. I will put it back in the pan for a few seconds, and flip the whole thing to make sure the cheese is melted and gooey. They taste best that way.
We use a pizza cutter to cut them in little wedges and then sit down for a “Mommy and Me” chat as we nibble our delicacy. I like the bonding time more than the snack!
We occasionally have a similar quesadilla. They’re also good if you spread a layer of refried beans, top with cheese and top with tortilla. Yum!
OH, that sounds yummy. I’ll have to try this, thank you for the tip!
Cee, you can find the recipe here (http://stephaniesmommybraininthekitchen.blogspot.com/2008/02/tortilla-stack.html). I make all kinds of versions – with chicken, taco meat or vegetarian. Enjoy!
Thank you Stephanie!
Cee,
My boys and I love these for snacks. Here in Texas, quesadillas are considered brain food! They’re even BETTER with home-made salsa. I’ll share the recipe with you!
Edie
I love home made salsa, would you post the recipe here?
Edie’s HOME-MADE Salsa:
1 16oz can of Petite Diced Organic Tomatoes
1 small Red Onion, diced
1 bunch of Fresh Cilantro (can use dried if you can’t find it in your area)
I Lemon
1 Lime
1 LARGE clove of garlic
Worcestershire Sauce
Habanero Pepper Sauce (Find in the Spanish Foods/International Section)
Dice onion & ENTIRE clove of garlic
Finely chop cliantro
Add juice from small lemon and lime
Add 2-3 big splashes of Worcestershire Sauce
Mix all together and place in food processor.
Drain tomatoes and add to food processor with above ingredients. Blend to desired consistency. (For chunky salsa, use a hand powered food processor)
LAST, add Habanero Pepper Sauce to Taste. We like it HOT, so I use 5 splashes.
Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
FYI: if you let it sit overnight it’s better and hotter the next day.
We like to eat this with whole grain tortilla chips