A Cinco De Mayo Recipe: Shrimp, Grilled Corn & Chorizo Quesadillas With Cotija Cheese
Mexican food. It's a Dash of Les all-time favorite. A guaranteed hangover cure, all-natural mood enhancer, and perhaps one of the best cuisines for any type of celebration. 99% of Americans love the cilantro, cheese, and lime topped tortilla-stuffed goodness. And the 1% who don't care for it? Well, they're just wrong.
Cinco De Mayo is just upon us, friends. While I'm not too pleased that the margarita flowing and taco gorging Mexican holiday falls on a Tuesday, I'm still going to pay tribute to the day that just gets food right. Certainly better than the Thanksgiving Turkey and Easter Ham feasts, Cinco De Mayo offers up a drool-worthy plethora of edible contenders.
Tacos are generally my go-to when it comes to Mexican recipe creation. From my Slow Cooker Citrus Habanero Carnitas Tacos to my Cantina Shrimp Tacos with Pickled Onion and Jalapeño Lime Crema, I've been kinda winning at the taco game. I mean, not to toot my own horn or anything (but toot toot). I've also been known to make a mean guacamole. Take for instance, my Crab, Mango, and Cotija Guacamole or my East Meets West Guacamole, which won 1st place in a California Avocados recipe contest last year.
But contrary to all that, I'm not here to brag about my strengths in Mexican gastronomy. I'm here to deliver a new recipe, a recipe that is just about as easy....and flavorful as it gets. Perfect for a Cinco De Mayo party, these Shrimp, Corn, and Chorizo Quesadillas combine some traditional Mexican ingredients into one seriously memorable dish.
The sweetness from the shrimp and grilled corn contrasts beautifully with the salty chorizo and sprinkling of sharp cotija cheese. The Monterey Jack rounds it all out and provides that ooey gooey cheese decadence, a quesadilla quality that we all know and love. Make it in less than 20 minutes and you'll most definitely have a brag-worthy dish for any Cinco De Mayo fiesta.
Shrimp, Grilled Corn, and Chorizo Quesadillas with Cotija Cheese
Ingredients:
1/2 pound small to medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 pound Mexican chorizo
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup cotija cheese
2 ears corn, grilled and corn removed from cob
1/4 cup cilantro
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, divided
2 burrito-sized flour tortillas
Salsa and/or sour cream
Directions:
1. Rinse and pat dry shrimp. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder. To a small pan, add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add the shrimp to the pan and sauté for one minute. Then, add the chorizo, squeezing it from the casing into the pan. Using a sturdy spoon, break the chorizo into crumbles and combine with shrimp. Cook for an additional minute, until chorizo is completely cooked through and the shrimp are pink but not yet curled. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
2. To a very large pan, add 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Place the tortilla on the pan and let cook for 30 seconds. Then, to one half of the tortilla, add 1/2 of the shredded Monterey Jack, cotija, grilled corn, cilantro, chorizo, and shrimp. I put some cheese on the bottom, then add the other components on top and then finish with more cheese. Let cook for an additional minute or so, until the tortilla is crisp and golden. Use a spatula to carefully turn up the edge to check for color.
3. Using a spatula, fold one side of the quesadilla over the half with the cheese and meat. Gently press down on the quesadilla so that the cheese can act as glue and make both sides stick together. Then, remove from pan. Using a large knife or pizza cutter, cut the quesadilla into 4 segments and plate.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for one more quesadilla.
5. ENJOY!!
