By Ryan is on a stretch of heavy summer shifts, which means there are thirty-six-hour periods where it is just me and two babies in the apartment, and I have developed a system for this that I call "the thirty-six hour plan" and which consists of the following: everything is prepped the day before, all freezer meals are within reach, the monitor volume is turned up to maximum, Patty is on call, and I have given myself permission to order pizza at hour twenty-four if that is what the situation calls for.
It is harder than I thought it would be and easier than I feared, which is the honest answer. The hard part is the 3 AM stretch when both babies need feeding within twenty minutes of each other and I am the only adult in the building. The easy part is that I have done this enough times now that I know my own capacity, and my capacity is higher than I thought, and knowing that is a kind of confidence I did not have six months ago.
Patty called at 7:15 on Friday and asked how the overnight went and I told her Owen had been up four times and Nora twice and she was quiet for a second and then said she was coming over at nine. I said she did not have to. She said she was coming at nine. She was there at 8:47. She had a casserole.
I have been eating the freezer burritos I made three weeks ago and I am not ashamed of this. I am also making pasta with jarred marinara at least twice a week and adding whatever I have: a handful of spinach, some Italian sausage from the Aldi freezer section, whatever cheese is in the drawer. This is not cooking so much as assembly, and assembly is a legitimate skill, and I am assembling the hell out of these dinners and we are eating and nobody is going hungry and that is the current measure of success.
The freezer burritos will run out eventually, and when they do, the corn quesadilla is what I reach for—because it is the same philosophy: grab what you have, put it together, feed yourself and your people. Patty showed up with a casserole, and that was love, but on the nights when it’s just me and the monitor and whatever is in the fridge at 6 PM, this is the recipe that fits the hour. It takes maybe ten minutes, it requires almost nothing, and it turns out that is exactly enough.
Corn Quesadilla
Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 8 min | Total Time: 13 min | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup corn kernels (canned, frozen and thawed, or fresh)
- 1/4 cup diced green onions
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter or neutral oil
- Sour cream, salsa, or hot sauce for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the filling. In a small bowl, combine the corn, green onions, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Assemble. Lay one tortilla flat. Sprinkle half the cheese evenly over the entire surface. Spread the corn mixture over one half of the tortilla, then top with the remaining cheese. Fold the tortilla in half to close.
- Cook. Heat butter or oil in a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place the folded quesadilla in the pan and cook for 3—4 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until the tortilla is golden and crisp and the cheese is fully melted.
- Rest and cut. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for one minute. Slice into wedges and serve with sour cream, salsa, or whatever is in the fridge.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 15g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 520mg