Quesadillas begin with two ingredients: flour tortillas and cheese. Their simplicity shouldn't be an excuse to overlook using quality ingredients and the proper technique.

One major complaint with store-bought tortillas is that they taste like raw flour straight out of the package, but chef Rachael Ray has a brilliant tip that solves this problem.

When Ray makes quesadillas, she chars one side of the tortilla before adding any toppings. That blistered side becomes the building block for those toppings.

This step adds more flavor to the dish by developing the Maillard reaction on all surfaces and helps the cheese melt better since the inside of the quesadilla is already hot.