Corn Truffle Filled Quesadillas
You may know of huitlacoche the mysterious Mexican corn mushroom also called corn truffle but aren’t quite sure what to do with it. We recommend these quesadillas filled with sautéed onions, tomatoes, and huitlacoche.
First, What is Huitlacoche?
Huitlacoche is a fungus that grows on ears of corn and is a celebrated delicacy in Mexico. In the U.S. it is considered a blight on corn crops but is gradually being embraced by organic farmers because an ear of corn with infected with huitlacoche brings a much higher price than a regular ear of corn.
Cooking with huitlacoche gives a dish delicate mushroom or truffle like flavor. It’s most commonly used to prepare quesadillas, tacos, and soup.
Where to Buy
During the summer months, you may be able to buy fresh huitlacoche at a farmer’s market or specialty grocery store. If fresh is unavailable, you can use a 13oz. size canned huitlacoche well-drained. (Affiliate link)
Corn or Flour Tortillas?
Authentic Mexican quesadillas are prepared with corn tortillas and tend to be much smaller with less filling than the “loaded quesadillas” prepared with fluffy flour tortillas we often see in the U.S. For this recipe, don’t substitute flour tortillas.
Huitlacoche, also spelled cuitlacoche goes, by a number of different names in English. Starting with the most glamourous to the least; corn truffle, corn, mushroom, corn fungus, and corn smut.
How to Make
Ingredients:
Choosing Your Cheese
You need a good Mexican melting cheese for quesadillas. Try Oaxaca cheese, Chihuahua, or asadero cheese. Mozzarella is an acceptable substitute is a Mexican cheese is unavailable.
Ingredient list:
- cheese – Oaxaca, Chihuahua, or asadero
- huitlacoche (corn mushroom)
- tomato
- white onion
- garlic
- epazote
- salt
- corn tortillas
Preparing the Filling
Chop the onion, tomatoes, and garlic.
Cook the onions, tomatoes, and garlic in 2 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium heat stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
When the tomatoes have changed color and started to lose their shape they are ready. Set them aside.
In the same pot where you cooked the tomatoes, onion, and garlic cook the huitlacoche over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Notice how the huitlacoche has darkened in color.
Add the reserved mixture of tomatoes, onion, and garlic and stir well.
Season with epazote and salt and cook for 2 more minutes.
Assembling the Quesadillas
Once the filling is done cooking, it’s time to make the quesadillas. Start by putting about ¾ ounce of cheese on a corn tortilla.
Then put 2 tbsps. of filling on the tortilla.
Then add another ¾ ounces of cheese and top with another tortilla.
Preheat your pan or comal to medium-hot. Place the quesadilla in the pan and cook until the tortilla just starts to turn golden then flip once.
Check to see that the cheese is fully melted before serving.
Serving
Slice the quesadillas in half. Serve 2 quesadillas per person with your favorite salsa, red or green on the side. Try one of our recipes for salsa verde or salsa roja.
Provecho!
Huitlacoche Quesadillas Recipe
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Kitchen knife
- 12" pan or comal
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 8 corn tortillas
- 12 ounces Mexican cheese Oaxaca, Chihuahua, or asadero
- 2 tomatoes large
- ½ white onion medium
- 1 clove garlic
- 12 ounces huitlacoche fresh
- 4 leaves epazote fresh
- 1 tsp. salt
Instructions
Preparing the Filling
- Chop the onion, tomatoes, and garlic.
- Cook the onions, tomatoes, and garlic in 2 tablespoons of cooking oil over medium heat stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
- When the tomatoes have changed color and started to lose their shape they are ready. Set them aside.
- In the same pot where you cooked the tomatoes, onion, and garlic cook the huitlacoche over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Add the reserved mixture of tomatoes, onion, and garlic and stir well.
- Season with epazote and salt and cook for 2 more minutes.
Assembling the Quesadillas
- Start by putting about ¾ ounce of cheese on a corn tortilla.
- Then put 2 tbsps. of filling on the tortilla.
- Then add another ¾ ounces of cheese and top with another tortilla.
- Preheat your pan or comal to medium-hot. Place the quesadilla in the pan and cook until the tortilla just starts to turn golden then flip once.
- Check to see that the cheese is fully melted before serving.
Serving
- Serve 2 quesadillas per person. Slice the quesadillas in half and serve with your favorite salsa for dipping.
Notes
- You can substitute canned huitlacoche of you are unable to find it free. Omit the step where you cook the huitlacoche because it is pre-cooked.
- If you can’t get a Mexican melting cheese, mozzarella is an acceptable substitute.
- Substitute 2 sprigs of dried epazote for the fresh epazote.
- Quesadillas don’t store well at all. They should be eaten immediately.
- Left-over filling can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Sean Ardley says
I’m guessing this recipe has 2.9 stars instead of 4.5 because it says to cook the quesadilla “until the tortilla just starts to turn golden.” It should probably say “until the BOTTOM tortilla just starts to turn golden.” I imagine a lot of people burnt the h out of their quesadillas waiting for that top one to turn golden.
Alan Bergo says
I love huitlacoche. I added a little extra jalapeno to mine. I also harvest it in Wisconsin, of all the places for a commercial farm that grows it for chefs. The cobs are really nice looking, with the mushroom-cobs growing in a few distinct shapes. Last year we even harvested it off the tassels! If you want to see images of harvesting and the process I have some fun ones here. https://foragerchef.com/huitlacoche-harvesting-and-cooking/
Alan