The Case For Adding Sour Cream Right Into Your Quesadilla's Filling

With a crisp browned tortilla on the outside and a filling of gooey melted cheese, it is no big wonder that the quesadilla is a universal food. They can be as simple or as complex as you like, filled with a melange of complementary flavors or simply stuffed with melted cheese. But regardless of the degree of complexity you choose in your quesadilla, a dollop of sour cream mixed into the filling never goes awry.

Now, no one would bat an eye at a ramekin of sour cream being served alongside a quesadilla, but mixing it into the filling itself is a different story. Before you get your hackles up, stop for a second and think about it. There are many ways to serve a quesadilla: They can be filled with black beans, sauteed vegetables, grilled chicken — you can even add canned tuna to your quesadillas for a quick protein boost — but what unites every quesadilla is an ample amount of melted cheese. And what do we love about melted cheese? It is gooey, salty, and creamy.

Mixing a spoonful of sour cream into your quesadilla fillings gives the finished dish a luscious creaminess that there is just no arguing with. Melted cheese is wonderful, and the creamier, the better. When that melted cheese and sour cream comes together into a saucy mixture with the spices and juices of the other quesadilla fillings, well, then you've got yourself something really special.

Now that we've talked you into adding an extra layer of creaminess to your next batch of quesadillas, it's time to delve into other avenues of culinary exploration for the familiar snack. Starting with the cheese.

Sure, a flour tortilla stuffed with just about any kind of melted cheese tastes pretty good, but it might be time to ditch that three-color bag of shredded cheese. (After all, it is one of the signs that you're at a bad Mexican restaurant.) If you really want to explore what a traditional quesadilla would taste like, try filling it with the delightfully stringy Oaxaca cheese.

As far as tradition goes, we'd be remiss not to mention the tortilla. Quesadillas in the U.S. are almost always made using flour tortillas, but corn tortillas are preferred in most of Mexico (Flour tortillas are only common in certain Mexican states). Choosing between corn and flour tortillas can be tough — and is mostly up to personal preference — but we suggest you at least give corn a try.

Beyond cheese and tortillas, you have a lot of options. The simplest way to class up your quesadillas is with a good salsa on the side. Try making your own homemade salsa verde, or save yourself some work and just check out our list of the best jarred salsas. To add additional layers of flavor, you could also mix in some simple three-ingredient carnitas or homemade beef birria. Quesabirria is tough to beat, but adding a touch of tangy sour cream might just do the trick.