Mexican Street Corn Quesadilla with Avocado Crema

FOR THE AVOCADO CREMA:

·       ½ cup sour cream (plain Greek yogurt works great too)

·       1 ripe avocado, diced

·       Zest and juice of 1 lime

·       2 tablespoons ranch dressing (optional but we love the flavor it adds)

·       2 tablespoons water

·       Salt and pepper, to taste

FOR THE CORN FILLING:

·       4 ears of corn, husks removed

·       Oil, for rubbing on the corn

·       Salt and pepper

·       3 tablespoons cream cheese

·       2 tablespoons mayo

·       ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese

·       2 scallions, diced

·       1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

·       ½ teaspoon ground cumin

·       ½ teaspoon chili powder

·       Salt and pepper, to taste

FOR THE QUESADILLAS:

·       1 tablespoon canola or grapeseed oil

·       4 large flour tortillas (we use 8-10 inch)

·       The corn filling

·       2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

OPTIONAL GARNISHES FOR SERVING:

·       Additional crumbled cotija cheese

·       Additional sliced jalapenos

·       Chopped fresh cilantro

·       Pico de gallo or salsa

·       Lime wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE AVOCADO CREMA:

·       To a blender, add the sour cream, avocado, lime zest and juice, ranch dressing, and water.

·       Blend on high until completely blended and smooth.

·       Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

·       The crema can be made a few hours ahead and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

FOR THE CORN FILLING:

·       Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat.

·       Drizzle the ears of corn with oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.

·       Add to the hot grill/grill pan and cook, turning every 30 seconds, for about 5 minutes total. You want the corn to be tender and charred in spots.

·       Allow the corn to cool slightly and then cut the kernels from the cobs and place them into a mixing bowl.

·       Add the cream cheese, mayo, cotija, scallions, jalapeno, and spices and stir well to combine. The heat from the corn will melt the cream cheese and mayo just slightly so that the mixture becomes creamy. Season the mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper.

FOR THE QUESADILLAS:

·       Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a drizzle of the oil.

·       Divide the corn filling between the four tortillas, spreading it over half of each tortilla. Sprinkle with the Monterey Jack cheese and then fold the tortilla over itself to form a half-moon shape. 

·       Carefully and gently place one of the filled quesadillas into the hot pan. Cook for a few minutes on each side until the tortilla is golden brown and crisp and the cheese on the inside is gooey and melted. I like to use two spatulas to help me flip the quesadillas.

·       Repeat with the remaining quesadillas.

TO SERVE:

·       Cut each quesadilla into wedges and garnish as desired. We love ours topped with a generous drizzle of the avocado crema, crumbled cotija, sliced jalapenos, a little chopped cilantro, salsa, and lime juice spritzed over top.

·       You can also serve the crema as a dipping sauce on the side.