If you're needing a fast and delicious dinner recipe for your family, then this is it! Catherine is giving us all the deets on her sweet potato black bean quesadillas that are also a great freezer meal idea.
Freezer-friendly, fast, cheap, allergy-friendly, and ideal for a pantry dump! Just let me know how many more buzzwords you want to hear about so that you understand how fantastic these sweet potato black bean quesadillas are.
If it sounds like a strange combination to you, that’s because it is definitely unusual, but truly delicious! Let it be known that this recipe is child-proof, anti-chef-proof, and spouse-who-usually-doesn’t-do-the-cooking-proof. Everyone that I've made it for loves it. The base is super simple and impossible to mess up. Intrigued? Read on for more!
WHY I LOVE BLACK BEAN QUESADILLAS
I’m not kidding when I say that this black bean quesadilla recipe literally helped me get through college. They’re a breeze to whip up, and you can substitute virtually every ingredient with whatever you have on hand. This recipe ideally saves you time and money because most people have these ingredients on hand!
They’re even a great freezer meal idea because they're so easy to batch cook! And who doesn’t like the cheesy goodness of a quesadilla? These babies have the added benefit of wholesome veggies that your kids will be too busy to notice as they gobble down this delicious finger food.
Oh, and if you were wondering, these black bean quesadillas have withstood the test of time! Post-college, I’m still making them monthly as a freezer-friendly staple for my family.
BLACK BEAN QUESADILLAS ARE SIMPLE
As a busy entrepreneur, leave it to me to be in a rush the day that I need to finish this blog post! If I have the time, then I'll peel and boil the sweet potatoes before mashing since I can make more at one time. But on a day like today, I am cooking these sweet potatoes right in the microwave. That means that I am going to cook in ONE PAN, my friends. Oh, happy day!
It is pivotal to note, however, that I cook my black bean quesadillas on a sheet pan in the oven when I cook this for a big group of friends. I spoon the filling into tortillas with cheese and pop them all into the oven to melt and crisp up simultaneously. This way everyone’s quesadillas are done and hot at the same time and only at the expense of one easily cleanable sheet pan!
TIPS FOR BLACK BEAN QUESADILLAS
Before you get cooking and subsequently indulge in the entire batch, I have a few tips and hints for you.
ALL ABOUT THE VEGGIES
You can chop the veggies however you like them. Personally, I like the texture from the bigger chunks of peppers and onions so I chop them a bit bigger. If you have kiddos who might not like it, you can mask the flavor by dicing them into tiny pieces so they are less obvious!
If you don't have all of the veggies, have no fear! These are easy to eyeball and you can change the ratio of every vegetable around as long as there is enough sweet potato to hold it all together. You can substitute with whatever beans you have, like pinto or cannellini. Feel free to add in different veggies, like mushrooms or shredded carrot, and different spices to suit your taste! Clear out your fridge and your pantry and feel free to dump it all in.
Also worth noting: the garlic press that I borrowed (stole) from my parents' house is life changing! It makes using fresh garlic so much easier.
DON'T FORGET THE SPICES
To ensure these turn out delicious, do not skimp on the spices. If you're feeling brave, double it! I always add a bit more than the basic recipe calls for because of the flavor it packs.
They have a great sweetness from the cinnamon and sweet potato with a little kick from the chili (if you add it). The melty gooey-ness of the cheese should help to allay any fears that it “tastes too much like a vegetable,” as my sister puts it.
WHAT TO PAIR BLACK BEAN QUESADILLAS WITH
This freezer-friendly recipe pairs well with a few fresh ingredients. Salsa, guacamole, and sour cream really elevate this black bean quesadilla recipe from a to-go snack or quick lunch to a delicious family dinner!
Enjoy mixing and matching toppings and dig in to this cheap, delicious meal to feed many!
HOW TO FREEZE THE BLACK BEAN QUESADILLA MIXTURE
This is such a great freezer meal idea! However, I would recommend only freezing the black bean quesadilla mixture, not the whole quesadilla. I would only suggest freezing the whole quesadilla if you don’t mind the tortilla being very soft from the microwaving. If you go that route and have time, then throw it in the pan to crisp up after defrosting.
Sweet Potato Quesadilla Recipe
Ingredients
- Splash of Cooking Oil
- 1 Onion
- 1 Red Pepper
- 1 Green Pepper
- 2 Large Sweet Potatoes
- 1 Clove of Garlic Minced
- 1 Can of Black Beans Drained
- 1 tbsp Cumin
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Chili Flakes Optional
- Shredded Cheese
- Tortillas
Instructions
- Scrub the sweet potatoes and cook them in the microwave after pricking them repeatedly with a fork. Or you can peel, boil and then mash them.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, chop the onion, red pepper and green pepper.
- Sauté onion and peppers over medium heat with the garlic and oil. Add the sweet potato and mix.
- Add black beans and spices and mix together.
- Put a few spoonfuls of the sweet potato black bean mixture into the tortilla and add shredded cheese.
- Heat both sides of the quesadilla in a pan until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is golden brown.
- Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream; or all on their own.
Notes
Ok, there you have it! Are you as excited about my sweet potato black bean quesadillas as I am? Let me know how you like them in the comments!
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Do you need more recipe ideas?
- Try out this chocolate chip cookie recipe that uses leftover candy!
- Try these recipes out the next time that you have leftover ham.
- This sweet potato breakfast bowl is a different way to eat up your sweet potatoes!
- A donut hole recipe? Yes, please!
- Jordan's banana bread recipe is definitely a winner in my book.
- Holy Hannah, this is the best potato soup recipe that I've ever had!
Do you leave the black beans whole or smoosh them a little ?
It really just depends on your preference! You can smoosh them so that they’re spread out evenly, but it really doesn’t matter!
Delicious!! Even my 5yo who is afraid of any level of spice (even cumin) enjoyed his quesadilla (his dad and I love Mexican food so I have no idea how he avoided spices growing up!!)
I think my sweet potatoes were nearly 1kg each!! So our recipe turned out super mild, but so tasty. I am so excited to have this as a freezer meal! Thankyou Catherine and Jordan!
Oh, that’s so great to hear! This really is a delicious and easy recipe! 🙂