Three Cheese Quesadillas with Cranberry Chutney

Do you like cheese like I like cheese?? I am betting you do!

Funny thing is . . . when I was a child I did not like cheese at all . . . not unless it was bright orange and came wrapped in flat celophane squares . . .



Or was bright orange and came in a rectangular box (read Velveeta here). As an adult I have come to question the value of a cheese product that doesn't need refrigeration . . . and that colour, well . . . 'nuff said.



Seriously though, I really did not like cheese very much unless it was artifical cheese. I have come to love and appreciate all sorts of cheeses though, which is a very good thing . . .
Unless of course you are trying to keep your weight down, which I'm not really very good at it seems . . .



I love all kinds of cheese now . . . stinky cheese, sharp cheese, creamy cheese, cheese full of blue bacteria . . . you name it, I love it.



These fabulous quesadillas are a perfect way to get rid of some of the cheese you have hanging around in your fridge after Christmas. You don't have to use the three cheeses I have suggested of course . . . but these three do work incredibly well together. Crisp, buttery and nicely browned on the outside, and scrummy yummy and gooey on the inside. . .



It goes without saying that the garlic butter on the outside may not go with everything. Use your discretion, and enjoy!




*Three Cheese Quesadillas With Cranberry Chutney*
Serves 8 to 12 as an appetizer or 3 to 4 as a light lunch, along with some salad
Printable Recipe

s small cloves of garlic, unpeeled
2 TBS butter at room temperature
8 ounced medium cheddar cheese, grated coarsely (2 cups)
1 1/4 ounces Gran Padano Cheese, finely grated (1/2 cup)
4 ounces fresh Goat's Cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)
4 (9 to 10 inches in diameter) flour tortillas
Cranberry Chutney to serve (see recipe below)

Bring a small pot of water to the boil. Drop in the garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain and allow to cool. Once cool, peel and mash in a bowl, along with the butter, mixing in well. Set aside.

Combine all the cheeses in a bowl. Spread one side of each tortilla with some of the garlic butter. Set on a work surface, buttered side down. Sprinkle one half of each with some of the cheese mixture, dividing it equally amongst the four. Fold the other half over the cheese, creating half moons, and lightly press down.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of the tortillas and cook on one side until nicely crisp and lightly browned. Flip over and crisp and brown the other side. Place into a warm oven to keep warm while you cook the other two. You can keep them warm in the oven for about half an hour if need be.

When ready to serve, cut into wedges and place on a heated tray along with a bowl of cranberry chutney. Delicious!



*Cranberry Chutney*
Makes 4 cups
Printable Recipe

This lovely chutney makes a wonderful gift and is such a lovely change from the usual cranberry sauce. It goes beautifully with turkey, ham or chicken. We just love it.

3 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup sultanas
1/2 cup chopped candied peel
1/2 cup chopped peeled onion
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp salt
2 whole cloves
2 tsp celery seed
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp dried chilies



Place the vinegar, water, both sugars, lemon juice and salt into a heavy non-reactive saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring to help dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved add the cranberries, sultanas, candied peel, onions, garlic, cloves, celery seed, ginger and chilies. Simmer gently, stirring often, uncovered for 45 minutes. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal. Process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. This will keep for up to a year. You can, of course, just put it into jars for giving away and immediate use, but if you do want to keep it longer, you really must process it in the water bath. Enjoy!



You can play with chutney flavours as well. A good mango chutney would go wonderfully with a mixture of cheddar and blue cheeses! (just a suggestion!) Let your imagination go wild! I do!