Recipe: Quesadillas Made with Smoked Cheddar, Avocado, and Caramelized Red Onions

A lot of my meals are thrown together from whatever I have on hand, and sometimes it all comes together so well that you incorporate it into your regular repertoire. Today's lunch was one such a meal.
I love quesadillas, and I always try to keep flour tortillas and cheese on hand. The girls love them, they're easy to make, and they can be as simple or as fancy and complex as you please. Some days, the quesadilla is nothing but the tortilla and cheese, and some days it include a whole range of ingredients. I started out to make a simple cheese quesadilla today, and spotting a block of smoked cheddar in the fridge, I thought I would mix it up a little. Then I spied the newly-ripe avocados on the counter. A red onion is always on hand in my pantry, and it seemed like the flavors would work well together. Did they ever! This is the kind specialty quesadilla that I would order at a restaurant, but it took no more than 15 minutes to make right at home. A can of black beans spiced up with cilantro, garlic, diced tomato, and topped with the smoky cheddar made an excellent accompaniment. A dollop of sour cream made it absolute heaven.


Quesadilla with Smoked Cheddar, Avocado, and Caramelized Red Onions.
 Makes 2 quesadillas


1/8 of a red onion, thinly sliced and caramelized  in a pan
1 whole avocado, peel and pit removed, and thinly sliced
1 cup smoked cheddar cheese, shredded, divided in half
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded , divided in half
2 soft-taco size flour tortillas
olive oil
 
In a medium saute pan, heat a few drops of olive oil. Lay one tortilla flat and sprinkle with half of each cheese across the whole tortilla. Lay half the avocado slices on one side. Top with half the onions. Fold the tortilla over the side with the avocado and onions. Heat until cheese is melted and tortilla is slightly golden brown and crispy. Cut into four slices. Repeat for second quesadilla.