We’ve been trying out some Super Bowl recipes, but not all of them have worked out that well. Sorry. That’s why we tried them early! But I figured cheese crisps are always a winner.

Yes, most people call them quesadillas. But in Arizona, we called them cheese crisps. Not sure why… other than they are cheesy and crispy. It isn’t just me, either — that’s really what people call them in Phoenix. Anyway, there are a couple of ways to make cheese crisps/quesadillas and all of them are easy. It just depends what you are looking for. I am going to show you two basic ways and tell you a few variations — you decide how you want to load it up.

I like to use plain cheese — Mexican blend or Cheddar — or cheese mixed with chopped green chiles (from a little can). You can add vegetables, cooked chicken, beans or whatever you want. Although then it ceases to be a cheese crisp.

The first method is a little less fattening because you just spray the skillet with a little Pam first. I also only filled half the tortilla with cheese, so that is obviously fewer calories than a whole tortilla covered in cheese with another tortilla on top. Unless you eat two.

This method makes the tortilla more crispy.

Then there’s the butter method. This is still crisp, but the tortilla is softer and… well, more buttery. Of course.

You can fold this instead of putting another tortilla on top. Or you could leave it open faced. Either way. It’s cheesy, it’s crispy, it’s muy bueno.

Cheese crisp #1
Cooking spray
1 flour tortilla
Grated cheese — about 1/4 cup, depending on tortilla size
Spoonful of chopped green chiles
Salsa

Stir chiles and cheese together. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Place a tortilla flat on the skillet and spread cheese over half or tortilla. Carefully fold empty side of tortilla up over cheese and press down with a spatula. Cook until cheese begins to melt, pressing down occasionally (2-3 minutes). Lift folded tortilla and spray skillet again lightly with cooking spray. Flip tortilla over and cook to brown other side and finish melting cheese. Allow to cool slightly, then cut into triangles and serve with salsa.

Cheese crisp #2
1 tablespoon butter
2 flour tortillas
1-2 spoonfuls chopped green chiles
Grated cheese — about 1/3 cup, depending on size of tortillas
Salsa

Stir cheese and chiles together. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place one tortilla flat on skillet and spread cheese mixture evenly over it, leaving a little space around the perimeter. Place other tortilla on top and press down with spatula. Allow cheese crisp to cook until cheese begins to melt (2-3 minutes), pressing down with a spatula occasionally, then carefully flip to brown outside of other tortilla and finish melting cheese. Slice into triangles with a pizza cutter. Serve with salsa.