Arizona Cheese Crisp

A cheese crisp is a dish from Tucson, Arizona that is crispy and cheesy. It has a big flour tortilla that is spread with butter and shredded cheese, and baked until it is golden. The dish is eaten like a pizza and sliced into pieces.

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Cheese Crisp

Prep Time: 3

Cook Time: 17

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 435kcal

Equipment

Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet

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:
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Sour Cream

Notes

Restaurants usually serve 20+ inch tortillas, but not many home chef's have a pan big enough, but if you have access to big tortillas and you have a pizza stone it works well.

*Note 1 - The amount of cheese used will depend on the size of your tortilla. The cheese should cover the tortilla evenly. Feel free to add more, but at some point, if you add too much cheese, you just end up with a soggy mess, and no 'crisp'.

Nutrition