Cheesies Recipe by Leah

Have you ever read the Little House on the Prairie™ books?  I loved those books as a child.  I would read the first book in the series and continue until I’d read them all.  Then, I would start all over again.  I pictured myself as Laura every time!  Especially when she was “wicked” as a little girl.  Imagine my surprise when one day, while reading it, my granny told me that series was much like her life.  She had my complete attention.

She told me all about her parents and their very large family as they settled in Arizona.  She told me about her responsibilities, much like Laura’s, of helping however was needed on the ranch.  She told me about helping her mother and older sister cook for all the brothers and ranch hands.  They used to make a full washtub of bread dough every week!  Can you imagine?!  The food they prepared was always straightforward and simple.  A special treat was when they made Cheesies.  They would make flour tortillas and fry them one at a time in shallow oil.  You’d drop the tortilla in the oil, she’d tell me.  Then when it was beginning to get crispy you’d flip it and sprinkle bits of cheese on top so you’d have a crispy tortilla that would have melted cheese with bits of crispy cheese where it had cooked faster than the rest.

Granny went on to become a teacher (just like Laura!), marry, and then move away.  Most of the meals she learned as a girl she didn’t keep up but Cheesies were a special treat she continued to make and spoil her grandchildren with.  Granny died 5 years ago now at the age of 102 and she would be happy to know I keep making Cheesies.

Somewhere along the line I made a slight alteration though and I have to tell you that Granny would have been proud.  She loved to see people “improve” things and make them their own.  With a desire for more crispy cheese (after all, that’s where the flavor is) I decided to cut out the oil from the recipe.  Guess what?  It worked.

Cheesies

INGREDIENTS

flour tortillas

medium cheddar cheese, shredded

PREPARATION

Heat your skillet.  Sprinkle about 2 Tbsp cheese directly on the skillet and immediately lay your tortilla on top.  Let it cook until your cheese is beautifully crispy.  Flip the tortilla and cook the other side of the tortilla in the residual grease from the cheese until crispy.