In a small pot, warm the refried beans, over medium-low heat.
It is best to build the quesadilla in the pan in which it is going to be cooked in. That way there is less chance of everything falling apart before you get it to the pan. Set a cast iron frying pan, over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter; melt and spread around the pan.**
Lay a tortilla on a plate or flat surface. Spoon some of the warmed refried beans onto it and smooth out all over the tortilla as you were icing a cake. Leave about ½-inch of space around the outer edge and place it in the preheated pan.
Quickly, add the cheese and optional peppers.
Top with another bean-covered tortilla. This time turn the beans downward so that it sandwiches the other ingredients underneath.
Let the quesadilla cook for about 1 to 1 ½ minutes before flipping***.
Flip and allow the other side to crisp for 1 to 1 ½ minutes.
Carefully slide onto a plate. We always use a pizza cutter to slice it up as you would a pizza. Garnish with any toppings you choose.
Notes
* With tacos, we always use corn tortillas. But with quesadillas, you need the pliability of flour tortillas to hold the cheese and the filling together. It needs to withstand the flip.**Flour tortillas absorb a lot of oil, so you only want to lightly coat the pan with oil. I used cooking spray to get the best coverage without over greasing.***The half-moon technique is easier to flip than a quesadilla made with two tortillas. Just spread your filling over half of the tortilla, then fold the other half over the filling. When the time comes to flip the quesadilla, slide a spatula under the open side, then flip the quesadilla over on the fold.
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