Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas

I’ve mentioned before how Marc and I are really trying to cut back on our meat consumption. It’s for our health, for the animals and for the environment. So lately I’ve been trying to create recipes that are meatless but satisfy like they have it. It’s been an adjustment and a learning curve for this unabashed carnivore. Let me tell you, these sweet potato black bean quesadillas fit the bill perfectly though! The black beans gave them the protein while the sweet potatoes gave them some heft. Best of all, they were really simple to make.

I roasted my sweet potatoes first since it took 40 minutes. I have to admit that normally I microwave sweet potatoes because it’s quicker but since I had 6 here it was the best option. Roasting them with the salt, pepper and olive oil really brought out their flavor too.
I scooped the tender sweet potato into a bowl and stirred it really well with the black beans, cilantro and seasoning. That was all there was to making the filling!
After that it was just a matter of assembly. I spread a quarter of the filling on a tortilla and a big handful of cheese. Then I closed it up with another tortilla. They were gorgeous already!
So, I LOVE to cook quesadillas in my waffle iron. The indents gave them fun texture and 5 minutes in the waffle iron cooked them to perfection. A panini press or griddle would work really well here too.

That was all there was to this recipe! I served the quesadillas with a little toppings bar of avocado, salsa, Mexican crema, and extra cilantro. Queso drizzled on top would also be yummy. I’ll probably still have poultry and shellfish in my diet forever to some extent, along with the occasional burger or steak. It is much easier and yummier than I thought though to cook vegetarian and I want to keep it up. Let me know what you all think in the comments! xoxo

Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas
Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas
5 from 4 votes
Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas
Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 

These are such hearty and flavorful vegetarian sweet potato black bean quesadillas. They're simple to make and so good with toppings!

Course: Main Course
Keyword: Quesadillas
Servings: 4
Calories: 351 kcal
Author: Jeanie and Lulu's Kitchen
Ingredients
FOR THE QUESADILLAS
  • 6 medium sweet potatoes
  • salt as needed
  • black pepper as needed
  • olive oil as needed
  • 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 8 whole flour tortillas burrito size
  • 8 ounces shredded Mexican cheese blend
Optional Toppings
  • sliced avocado
  • Mexican crema or sour cream
  • salsa
  • extra cilantro
  • queso
Instructions
  1. First, prepare the sweet potatoes. Pre-heat the oven to 350 and line a sheet tray with foil. Slice the sweet potatoes all over with a knife to ventilate them and allow the olive oil and seasoning to seep through. Then drizzle them all generously with said olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Roast them until tender for about 40 minutes, then let them cool enough to handle. When they are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and scoop the flesh right out of the skin into a mixing bowl. Then mash them well with a fork. Stir in the black beans, cilantro, dried onion, garlic powder, paprika and cumin. 

  2. Then get out a waffle maker and pre-heat it. Spray it well with cooking spray. You could also use a panini press or griddle here if you don't have a waffle maker. Take a tortilla and spread a 1/4 of the filling on it. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese on top and close it with another tortilla. Cook it in the waffle iron for 5 minutes, until slightly crisp on the outside and melty. Repeat this with the remaining filling to make 4 total. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!!

Nutrition Facts
Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas
Amount Per Serving (1 quesadilla)
Calories 351 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 12.2g76%
Cholesterol 50mg17%
Sodium 569mg25%
Potassium 174mg5%
Carbohydrates 78.3g26%
Fiber 11g46%
Sugar 11.3g13%
Protein 19.6g39%
Calcium 370mg37%
Iron 1.8mg10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas
Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadillas

 

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5 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)