Now that I know how easy it is to make homemade tortillas, I can’t believe I haven’t made them before. Spurred on by the gift of a tortilla press from my son and daughter-in-law, I recently made quesadillas using homemade corn tortillas. When I first received the press, I made the mistaken assumption that this was a special occasion effort, perhaps needing to roast a pork shoulder to be the centerpiece of the meal. I finally decided that a quiet dinner at home was occasion enough. Remembering fondly the simplicity of griddled corn tortillas with melted Oaxacan that we enjoyed for breakfast every morning the last time we were in Mexico, I decided to try to recreate that treat.

I used the recipe on the back of the masa bag–it took all of 2 minutes to make the dough and roll it out into little balls. One quick press and the tortilla was ready to be cooked on an oil-free skillet. Flour tortillas can be made in the same manner.

It was SO simple….and delicious. Next time I would probably make a more complicated filling, but since I was a virgin tortilla maker, this was the way to start. We were able to taste the freshness of the corn tortillas, and it’s hard to beat a flavorful, chewy cheese. Of course I served it with salsa, but no other adornment was needed.

I’m all over this now. Homemade tortillas grace the menus of restaurants all over the country, but this is something you can do just as well in your own kitchen. Fajitas and tacos, even pork chile verde, would all be elevated by a little DIY action.