Simple Salvadoran Quesadilla

This a sweet rice bread made mostly with rice flour, cheese and sour cream. It is soft like a pound cake, you can taste the rice consistency that make this bread very unique.

My grandma loved baking sweet bread, not wonder why I love it too. She taught me this recipe. There are so many variations in El Salvador, but this is the one we have very often in my home now. This is not the quesadillas that we usually refer to here in America. These are sweet rice bread like. It is one of my favorites.

Simple ingredients

The authentic quesadilla I would say it only has four ingredients, rice, sour cream, cheese, and sugar.

Rice flour

If you want to make this one from scratch you can, but I usually buy the rice flour from the store. Indian markets have the best price for this flour.

All purpose flour

This ingredient is just to add body to the recipe. It does make it more dense as well.

Butter

Butter needs to be at room temperature to cream better. If you need to, place it in the microwave for 10 seconds before creaming.

Parmesan cheese

Grated parmesan cheese is new for me, I learned it from a friend, and it does make a huge difference –especially when we don’t have the authentic cheeses from El Salvador to make it.

Sour cream

I use full fat sour cream. Mexican markets and some others have the salvadoran sour cream, but so far I’ve used a regular one for this recipe.

Sugar

Granulated sugar is the best option to keep flavor toward the rice.

Milk

Full fat milk is the best for this recipe. We only drink 2% fat so I always use that one with no problem.

How to make quesadilla (step by step)

1. Grease molds and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
2. Cream butter with sugar using a mixer, or stand mixer.
3. Add the eggs –one at a time, and continue mixing.
4. Mix in flour slowly and then add milk.
5. Add sour cream, cheese and baking powder. The consistency of the batter looks wet and a little grainy and that is ok.
6. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.

How to serve

People in El Salvador usually eat this as an afternoon snack, like a coffee break. Regardless, it it almost always paired with a hot drink like chocolate, tea, or coffee.

How to store

This one is best stored in the fridge for about three days. The reason is because of all the dairy that it contains make it perishable easily at room temperature. I usually leave it at room temperature the day I bake them.

Let me know if you try the recipe. I love to see it. Follow me on IG @salvadorankitchen