Cinco de Mayo Is The Perfect Time To Try Grilling Quesadillas

Old man winter finally released his grasp and warmer weather has returned across the country. Even our friends way up north are finally thawing out and embracing the change of seasons. April found us doing our spring cleaning and getting our grills ready for action and now that May is upon us we are locked, loaded and ready to grill!

Cinco de Mayo is the first holiday of grilling season. Many folks will be celebrating the occasion with a cook out. Contrary to popular belief Cinco de Mayo is not independence day for Mexico but rather a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. Good enough reason to fire up the grill and crack open an icy cold Corona! Along with this day comes a lot of tasty Mexican food and there is no reason you should not join in on the fun at your grill.

We have found one of the easiest and most versatile things you can grill is a little gift from our friends south of the border- the flour tortilla! Traditionally tortillas are toasted on a super hot “camal” or a cast iron skillet before serving. Toasting the tortilla brings out an authentic nutty flavor and crispiness that will make your taste buds sing. Put two of these tortillas together with some killer fillings and you have a recipe for something truly Grate, the quesadilla. Naturally the quesadillas translate perfectly to the grill and we find ourselves cooking them all year round. GrillGrates allow you to toast the tortillas in a much more controlled fashion than a traditional grill surface. The end result is a crispy golden brown exterior with stunning grill marks.

Tortillas are the perfect platform for any number of ingredients and go well with just about everything. Quesadillas can be made well in advance and thrown on the grill as needed. But don't stop there, why not gather a bunch of tasty toppings? Salsa, guacamole, sour cream and fresh veggies all lend themselves nicely to quesadillas. We like to set up a toppings bar of sorts and let our guests customize to suit their individual tastes. A toppings bar is perfect for parties plus it's fun, kind of like a quesadilla “social” if you will.

Our go-to recipe for grilled quesadillas includes quite simply mashed/seasoned black beans, salsa and cheddar cheese. The prep work is minimal, just buy canned black beans, your favorite salsa and shredded cheddar cheese. You can feed an army of folks for next to nothing using these humble ingredients and of course your GrillGrates. This year try adding quesadillas to your cook out menu and your guests will all be saying “Viva Mexico!”