Do This, Not That: Quesadilla Edition

Three new and improved techniques for making one great snack.

Katie Lee makes a Shrimp Quesadilla, as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen

Katie Lee makes a Shrimp Quesadilla, as seen on Food Network's The Kitchen

To maximize the flavor of shrimp, Don't sauté them – roast them!

Much like roasting meat on the bone, roasting shrimp in their shells gives them a more intense flavor and keeps them from drying out as easily. The flavor from the shells penetrates the flesh, making them even tastier in all sorts of recipes.

To grate cheese with ease, Don't grate it at room temp – freeze it before you grate!

Freezing cheese first firms it up and makes it much easier to grate on a box grater. Here's how to do it for the best results. Freeze cheese for 30 to 45 minutes before you shred. Forty-five minutes is optimal--any longer and it becomes too hard. The best cheeses to use for this technique are block cheeses like mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Cheddar and fontina. Avoid super-soft cheeses like feta and fresh mozzarella. They don't freeze well.

Our last tip is an awesome hack for making delicious crunchy quesadillas. Don't use butter or oil to cook them in the pan – swap that butter for mayo!

Using mayo in place of butter is great because you don't have to wait for butter to soften to spread it onto the tortilla. Also, jarred mayo contains a bit of sugar that promotes browning and extra crispiness.

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