So are you thinking “I’ve made a quesadilla. It was good. What is there to know?” If so, think again. Every step of a quesadilla recipe is a moment to turn a just “good” quesadilla into a really great one.

I wish I could say what I’m about to pass on was my own brilliance. But it’s not. This information came to me from a favorite site, Food 52 (www.food52.com). We can thank experienced chef, Catherine Lamb, for these insights. Here’s her advice for taking good to great in the quesadilla department:

The Tortillas: While corn is the more authentic, more flavorful tortilla choice—for quesadillas, flour is best. Flour tortillas are more pliable (more on quesadilla shaping later), and they also form a wonderful crispy exterior. I think that half-moon quesadillas are easier to eat than small, circular ones, so I recommend picking up the grande burrito-sized tortillas.

The Cheese: You want a cheese that will melt nicely. Slightly milder cheeses are perfect because they don’t overpower the fillings. Cheddar, Monterey jack, goat cheese, or Oaxaca cheese are all good options—choose one, or combine two for a creamy, melty mashup. Grate your cheese if it needs to be grated, crumble if not. In a pinch, you can certainly use pre-sliced cheese.

You could stop here and make a cheese-only quesadilla. But if you’re after more of a meal, and you want to go from good to great, then turning to fillings is the approach!

Fillings: You can keep your quesadilla fillings relatively simple and still enjoy terrific results. And perhaps this is one of the exceptional benefits of quesadillas. NO recipe is needed! This is a truly “use what you have meal.”

That said, do consider sticking to flavor combinations that typically play well together. It’s also smart (and easy) to incorporate leftovers whenever possible. (Note: At this stage, chef Catherine recommends avoiding things that are better cold, like salsa and avocado—they’ll come later.) Here are a few of her favorite filling combinations:

• Spinach, mushroom, and caramelized onion with goat cheese
• Black beans and roasted poblano peppers with Monterey Jack
• Roasted sweet potato, cauliflower, and kale with cheddar
• Crumbled chorizo, beans, pickled jalapenos
• Bacon
• Buffalo chicken + hot sauce + blue cheese (I have eaten this; it was awesome)

[Alice here] I have to add my 2¢ to Catherine’s suggestions. Diced tomato, chopped green onions, and cheese are also yummy. As is finely diced red or green bell pepper paired with shredded grilled chicken, artichoke hearts, and cheese. Then there’s sliced black olives, mushrooms, and cheese. Really, the combinations are limited only to your imagination.

[Chef Catherine again] But whatever fillings you choose, chop them relatively finely—make sure there are no big chunks and all components are a relatively uniform size.

Cook your ingredients however you like; I recommend roasting hardier vegetables like squash and cauliflower, blistering peppers over a stove and peeling them; and giving greens a quick sauté. Pre-cook any meat before adding it to the filling and chop it into bite-sized pieces.

NOW, here’s the key step: Once everything is prepped, toss all of the fillings together in a hot pan for a few minutes so they can get to know each other. Mash things that need to be mashed, say, sweet potatoes, with the back of your spoon. Make sure to season everything with salt and whatever spices you like—cumin and cayenne are reliable go-to’s. The end result might not win any beauty pageants (no one is going to see it, anyway), but oh will the end result win the tasting contest!

Condiments: Combine the perfect condiments with the perfect fillings, and you have quesadilla ecstasy. Salsa is a never-fail choice as is sour cream and guacamole. And you can make a speedy dipping sauce by mixing together plain yogurt with Sriracha and a drizzle of honey or a squirt of lime. To finish it all off, messily mash a few slices of avocado and top of the finished product.

Build Your Quesadilla: Heat a pan or griddle large enough to contain your tortilla over high heat. Add a nub of butter to the pan— yes, butter. It makes the end result so much crisper and more bronzed than oil ever could. Once it stops foaming, lay out your tortilla. Cover the entire thing with a thin, even layer of your cheese(s), making sure to get all the way to the edge.

Once the cheese starts to melt, spread your fillings over one half of the tortilla. Leave for a minute or two, then fold with a spatula and press lightly over the top to make sure that the cheese sticks to the filling on both sides.

So that all parts of the tortilla are equally cheese-filled, make a shape that's akin to a flattened burrito shape rather than the traditional half-moon.

And here’s an idea. If you want a quesadilla experience that's as cheese-centered as possible, do this: Instead of folding the tortilla in the typical half-circle, tuck all of the edges in to make a rectangle. All parts of the tortilla get full cheese contact.

Whichever way you fold the quesadilla, transfer it to a cutting board and let it rest for a minute to mitigate cheese ooze. Using a large kitchen knife, cut the quesadilla into four pieces or fewer if you folded it like a burrito.

Polish it off by serving with an absurd amount of condiments. Now you know the fine art of quesadilla making!