For once, you almost don't need the cheese . . .
If you think tons of melted cheese is the secret to a good quesadilla, you’ve clearly never had one of these. Loaded with spiced mashed sweet potatoes, corn and black bean salsa, and just a sprinkling of Monterey Jack cheese, these sweet potato quesadillas are bursting with so much flavor, texture, and all around comfort food vibes, you’ll wish they were the standard for all quesadillas.
Pan-steaming the sweet potatoes with onions and spices infuses them with seasoning from the inside out, while roughly mashing them with a fork creates a texture reminiscent of refried beans: perfect for helping to bind the quesadilla together. Meanwhile, the corn and black bean salsa adds an extra layer of texture and zing that, while unusual in a quesadilla, play perfectly off the rich sweet potato. With all this going on, the cheese is almost superfluous.
Unlike typical quesadillas, these quesadillas are a great make-ahead meal. You can cook the sweet potatoes and salsa ahead of time and store in separate containers in the refrigerator. You can even assemble and cook the actual quesadillas ahead of time, if you really want. (If you do that, I highly recommend reheating them in a dry nonstick pan on low heat, flipping occasionally until they’re heated through and crisp on both sides again.)
Crisp, buttery tortillas, stuffed with spiced sweet potato, zingy corn and black bean salsa, and, of course, a bit of gooey melted cheese. Think you love “typical” quesadillas? Make a batch of these, I dare you, and tell me that these aren’t even better.
Enjoy!
Sweet Potato Quesadillas
(Makes 8)
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vegetable oil, divided
½ onion, chopped
2 ½ tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
1 ½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. dried oregano
2 medium sweet potatoes (12 oz.) peeled and chopped into ¼” cubes (about 3 cups)
¼ cup water
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice, divided
½ cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
4 oz. (1 cup) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 (8”) flour tortillas
8 tsp. butter, divided
Salsa, for serving
Sliced jalapenos, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
Method
In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, paprika, and oregano, and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sweet potato and 1 ½ teaspoon salt and stir to coat with seasonings.
Add ¼ cup water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, checking and stirring occasionally, until sweet potato is tender and mashable, about 15 minutes. Lift lid and continue to cook, mashing down on some of the sweet potato chunks with a fork, until the sweet potato mixture is the consistency of refried beans, 5-10 minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Wipe out pan and return to medium-high heat. Add remaining teaspoon oil, corn, and red bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred, 2-3 minutes. Stir in black beans and cook until heated through, then remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl. Stir in chopped cilantro, remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt; set aside. Wipe out pan and set back over medium heat.
Spread one side of a flour tortilla with 1 teaspoon butter. Set, butter-side down, on top of a second flour tortilla and spread one half with a scant ¼ cup sweet potato mixture. Top with 2 tablespoons black bean and corn salsa, then 2 tablespoons shredded cheese. Fold untopped half over loaded half to seal. Repeat with remaining tortillas and mixture.
Cook quesadillas two at a time in preheated skillet until golden brown on the bottom, 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side until golden brown and cheese is melted, about 2 minutes more. Remove to a cutting board and repeat three more times with remaining filled quesadillas.
Serve warm with salsa, sliced jalapeno, and more lime wedges as desired.
Originally posted March 25, 2023.
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