How to make a cheese crisp in 20 minutes
Cheese Crisp, Sonoran Cheese Crisp, Arizona Cheese Crisp, Tucson Cheese Crisp – This is a regional dish I have never seen outside of Arizona – And it is delicious!
An Arizona favorite, the Cheese Crisp, is essentially an open-face quesadilla with a magic ingredient: BUTTER. I have never seen it served outside of Arizona, but in AZ it is a common appetizer at Mexican food restaurants.
As a kid, we would go out to eat at Valle Luna every Monday. My folks would get margaritas. My sister would get root-beer, and I would get a sarsaparilla cola. Always starting with the free chips and salsa, and a cheese crisp for our starter. The perfect combination of butter, gooey melted cheese, and tortilla. Don’t forget the butter, that is what separates it from a quesadilla.
To make a Cheese Crisp at home, start by lightly buttering a tortilla and layering it with grated cheese. Monterey Jack cheese, mixed with cheddar is the traditional choice. Place the cheese-covered tortilla under a broiler (salamander) until it transforms into a bubbly, golden brown delight.
The tortilla in an Arizona Cheese Crisp is usually big, like 12-15 inches big, and fresh (if possible).
All of the regular Mexican condiments go well with it: such as salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. Perfect for sharing with friends and family.
Why the cheese crisp works:
- Flour tortillas are thin and large, perfect for making a crispy base.
- Butter adds flavor and moisture to the tortillas. Butter is what puts the crisp in Cheese Crisp.
- Cheddar cheese is a good melting cheese.
- I tested the cooking times and temperatures many, many, ways, and I found that at 14-15 minutes at 300F, the tortilla had a uniform crispiness without any burnt bits. If you try to go hotter and faster, you end up with burnt edges and a soggy center.
Making a Cheese crisp
Mise en place – Gather your tools and ingredients. Clean your kitchen, empty the trash, unload the dishwasher.
Lightly butter the tortilla.
Bake at 300F for 14-15 minutes or it starts to lightly golden.
Add cheese, and return to oven, to let it melt. 1-2 minutes.
Take it out of the oven, slice into 6 pieces, and serve immediately with your favorite condiments.
Cheese crisp Tips and Tricks:
- Oaxaca cheese or queso fresco, also mix well.
- Use room temperature butter or microwave cold butter for a few seconds to soften it.
- To make the cheese crisp spicier, add some jalapeños, hot sauce, or salsa to the cheese or the chiles.
- To serve the cheese crisp, cut it into wedges and enjoy it hot. Serve it with some sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or cilantro for extra flavor.
- If you are using tortillas larger than 10 inches, make sure you have a pan that will fit it.
Arizona Cheese Crisp
Ingredients
- 1 tortilla burrito-size (10-inch diameter or larger) flour tortilla. Fresh if you can find it.
- 2-3 Tsp butter salted or unsalted
- 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese *See note 1
Mild or sharp both work. (I recommend Tillamook if you can find it)
- 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300°F 150℃. With the rack in the middle.
- Lay a plain flour tortilla flat on a large baking sheet or wire rack. Spread butter evenly over the entire surface of the tortilla, reaching the edges.
- The butter adds flavor and texture to the cheese crisp, so don't skip this step!
- Bake the plain buttered tortilla for about 15 minutes or until the tortilla starts to get golden.
- Take out of oven, and sprinkle the cheese on, almost to the edges, return to oven.
- Bake the tortilla for another 2 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted. Take it out of the oven, slice it with a pizza cutter if you have one, or just use a knife. Serve hot!
- Serve With:
- Sour Cream
Notes
Nutrition
Arizona Cheese Crisp Pairs well with:
I used to eat these as a kid in Phoenix. I forgot about them. Fun to see this recipe. I can’t find fresh tortillas where I live, but Mission tortillas worked fine. I had to be fast before my kids it all…sigh