The Toaster Hack For Cheesy Quesadillas In A Flash

Quesadillas are an easy meal that's great for any time of day. They can be customized however you want to make the perfect breakfast, a quick lunch, or a kid-friendly dinner. While they're simple enough and only require two main ingredients (tortillas and cheese), if there's a way to make the process even simpler, why not try it? If you haven't started whipping up quesadillas in your toaster, now is the time to start. This hack takes "quick lunch idea" to a whole new level.

We know toasters are for toasting bread and the occasional thin bagel, but tortillas crisp up just as well in this little appliance. Not all toasters are created equal, though, so when you do use this method, keep a close eye on the tortilla as it toasts to avoid burning it. Plus, the more cheese it has, the longer it will take to melt, so it's all about finding the right ratio.

The process is pretty foolproof. Take a tortilla and add cheese down the center. (You can use sliced or pre-shredded cheese; it will melt just about the same.) Then, fold the sides of the tortilla over the cheese, and fold the entire quesadilla in half. This should make it small enough to fit in a standard toaster slot, but you might have to adjust the quesadilla a little bit. From there, just pop it in the toaster and toast it to your desired crispness.

Make sure not to overfill the tortilla with cheese. You don't want any of the cheese melting out of the tortilla while it toasts, or your toaster will get pretty messy. Plus, the cheese needs to melt all the way through, and the more you pile in, the less likely it will have enough time to melt by the time the tortilla is toasted.

There are a few drawbacks to making a quesadilla this way. Of course, the biggest positives are the ease and the time. There's no breaking out the pans and butter here, and the whole meal takes less than five minutes start to finish. With that said, there are a couple of flaws. 

Toppings will thicken the quesadilla. While you might be able to add in a little thinly sliced pepper, you can't get too excited with the toppings, or the quesadilla won't have time to heat all the way through (and might not fit in your toaster). Plus, while cooking quesadillas in butter or oil adds flavor, that isn't an option in the toaster, so be prepared to have a very basic dish: just a tortilla and cheese without much additional flavor. But if both of those ingredients are high-quality, the meal will still be delicious. 

If you do add toppings, slice them super-thinly. Bell peppers, onions, and jalapeños are good options that are easy to slice finely.