Quesa-dilicious.
I’ve stuffed quesadillas with everything from pimento cheese and broccoli to cabbage and kielbasa, but rajas con crema just might be my new favorite filling. Loaded with a creamy roasted poblano and corn crema, these comforting quesadillas are the perfect choice for a cozy weeknight dinner or game-day snack.
“Rajas con crema” is a traditional Mexican comfort food featuring strips of roasted poblano peppers tossed in a creamy sauce with onions, corn, and sometimes cheese. While it can be served as a side dish by itself, it’s often served inside tacos or used to fill quesadillas—just like I’m doing here.
If you’ve never worked with poblanos before, they’re a large mild pepper native to Pueblo, Mexico. They’re often stuffed and fried (as in the classic dish chili rellenos), but they’re also commonly prepared by roasting, peeling to remove those blackened skins, and slicing into thin strips or “rajas.” Don’t be tempted to wash the peeled peppers in an effort to remove any lingering bits of blackened skin: you’ll only wash off all of the pepper’s amazing flavor. A little char won’t hurt.
The typical creamy element in rajas con crema is Mexican crema, but for this recipe, I chose to go with sour cream. More widely available in the United States, it’s a bit tangier and also a little thicker—which is helpful, as we don’t want the filling to ooze out in the pan. If you have Mexican crema, feel free to try swapping it in here, but just be mindful that the filling will be a little looser and more difficult to contain.
If you’d like to prep ahead, the rajas con crema filling can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I recommend warming it before using it to stuff the quesadillas—otherwise it won’t warm through in the time the tortillas take to brown in the pan. The leftover quesadillas can also be stored for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. They will become soggy as they cool, so to regain some of their initial crispness, I recommend reheating them over low heat in a nonstick pan rather than in the microwave.
Enjoy!
Creamy Roasted Poblano and Corn Quesadillas
(Makes 4 servings)
3 poblano chilies (about 1 lb.)
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
½ large white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp. plus ¼ tsp. kosher salt
¾ c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
½ c. sour cream
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ c. shredded Oaxaca cheese
4 (10”) flour tortillas
Equipment: sheet pan, aluminum foil, two large pans
Instructions
Preheat broiler over high heat. Line a sheet pan with foil. Add poblanos to pan and broil until charred on all sides, turning occasionally, 8-12 minutes.
Place hot poblanos in a heat-proof bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam 20 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove blackened skins, stems, ribs, and seeds, and discard. (A few bits of blackened skin remaining are okay; avoid washing poblanos.) Slice chilies lengthwise into ¼” strips and set aside.
In a pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add corn and cook until bright yellow, then fold in sour cream, black pepper, and reserved poblanos. Cover and keep warm.
Spread one side of a flour tortilla with ½ tablespoon butter. Set, butter-side down, top of a second flour tortilla (this prevents you from getting butter on the work surface) and spread one half of unbuttered side with 2 tablespoons cheese and ½ cup of the cheesy poblano and corn mixture. Fold untopped half over loaded half to close. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Preheat a pan over medium heat. Add one folded quesadilla to pan and cook until browned on the bottom about 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until browned, about 2 minutes more. Remove to a cutting board and repeat with remaining filled tortillas. Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges and serve immediately.
Originally posted March 24, 2025.