Nopales de Quesadillas en Chile Rojo

🥄 Ingredients

• 1 pound cactus paddles, (trimmed, cleaned, and diced)
• 3 cloves garlic, (divided)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt + 1 teaspoon, (plus more as needed)
• ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano, (divided)
• Water, (as needed)
• 6 guajillo chiles, (rinsed, stemmed, and seeded (about 1.4oz))
• 2 árbol chiles, (optional, rinsed and stemmed)
• 1 Roma tomato
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ medium white onion, (thinly sliced)
• 5 large flour tortillas
• 3 ½ cups V&V Supremo Shredded Chihuahua® Brand Quesadilla Cheese

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the nopales: In a medium pot, add the diced cactus paddles, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon Mexican oregano, and enough water to completely cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Drain the water from the nopales and rinse them under warm water to remove any excess slimy liquid.

3. 3

   While the nopales are cooking, make the chile rojo: In a medium pot, add the guajillo chiles, árbol chiles, and enough water to completely cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the chiles soak for 10 minutes to soften.

4. 4

   Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles to a blender. Add the tomato, the remaining 1 clove garlic, the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt, the remaining ¼ teaspoon Mexican oregano, and ½ cup fresh water. Blend until completely smooth. If the sauce is not smooth, strain it through a fine mesh strainer to remove any solids.

5. 5

   Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the sliced onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. 6

   Add in the drained nopales and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. 7

   Add the chile rojo and cook for 6 more minutes until the sauce has thickened. Taste and season with more salt as needed. Remove from heat.

8. 8

   Assemble and cook: Layer the half of each tortilla with ⅓ cup cheese, ⅓ cup cooked nopales, and another ⅓ cup cheese in each tortilla. Fold it over and cook the quesadillas in a hot skillet or comal for 1 to 2 minutes per side until the cheese has fully melted and the quesadillas are golden brown.

9. 9

   Serve with Crema Mexicana de Casa, guacamole, and garnish with cilantro.

📊 Nutrition (per serving)

Nutritional values are estimates from the original source.