Sweet Potato Quesadillas with Black Beans

These Sweet Potato Quesadillas with black beans are crispy, cheesy, tasty and perfect for lunch or dinner.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Fusion, Mexican

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings (2 quesadilla per person)

Calories 253kcal

Author Michelle Alston

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil divided
3 small sweet potatoes (430g) peeled and cut into chunks
1 medium red onion finely chopped
1 medium bell pepper pith and seeds removed then chopped
2 cloves of garlic put through a garlic press or finely grated
¼ teaspoon mild chilli powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of dried coriander leaf
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 x 15 oz can (400g can) of black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup of sweet corn (1 small can, 165g drained weight) drained and rinsed
The juice of one lime plus more for serving
8 x 8 inch / 20 cm soft flour regular tortillas or tortillas of your choice
1 cup (125g/4oz) red Leicester cheese grated. If you can't get red Leicester then a sharp cheddar works very well too.
3 scallions (spring onions) sliced
A handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) roughly chopped

For Serving

pickled jalapenos optional
soured cream
guacamole
lime wedges

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / 355F fan assisted or 200 degrees C / 390F conventional oven.
Place the sweet potato on a baking tray. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the potatoes and add ½ a teaspoon each of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Toss the sweet potato to make sure it is covered in oil then pop the tray in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Turn the sweet potatoes halfway through cooking.
While the potatoes are cooking make the rest of the filling.
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan. Add the finely chopped red onion and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Once the onion is a little soft add the chopped bell pepper and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes.
Next stir in the spices: ½ a teaspoon of mild chilli powder, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, 1 ½ teaspoon of ground cumin and ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Add 1 teaspoon of dried coriander leaf as well. Stir well and cook for a minute until the spices release their aromas.
Now pour in the juice of one large lime and stir well.
Then add the drained black beans and sweet corn. Season with salt and pepper. I add up to ½ a teaspoon of salt and black pepper.
Stir and cook until the black beans are hot and the peppers are soft.
Once the sweet potatoes are cooked add them to the pan and using a wooden spoon squash them down a bit. They don't need to be mashed just squashed a bit and then stir them into the mixture.
Now stir in the chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) and the sliced spring onions (scallions)
Slightly oil a skillet pan, then heat it over medium heat.
Place a tortilla on the pan, add two to three heaped dessert spoons of the sweet potato mixture onto one half of the tortilla. Add a generous amount of grated cheese then fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling.
Using a turner or fish slice gently press down on the quesadilla. You could also put a weight on top of the tortilla if you want.
After 2 - 3 minutes carefully flip the quesadilla, and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes. The quesadilla should be golden brown on both sides and the cheese should have melted.
Cut the quesadilla in half or into quarters then serve with sour cream and guacamole.

Notes

Cheese - I recommend red Leicester for these sweet potato quesadillas, however, if you can't get that then a good sharp/mature cheddar works well too.
Tortillas - Flour tortillas work best for these but you can use corn if you wish. My tortillas measured 8 inches (20cm).
Make it Vegan, swap the cheese for your favourite vegan cheese, if you can get a meltable vegan cheese then that would give you the best results.
Make it Gluten-Free, swap the flour tortilla for your favourite gluten-free tortillas.
Storing, if you have sweet potato mixture leftover then leave it to cool and keep it, covered, in the fridge for 1 or 2 days. No need to reheat it in a pan, just add it to the tortilla, add grated cheese and cook over low heat until the filling is piping hot.
Freezing, I don't recommend you freeze the cooked quesadilla however you could freeze the sweet potato filling. Leave it to cool then pop it into a freezer-friendly container. Defrost in the fridge overnight then add to the tortilla as above.
Nutrition information is calculated using an online nutrition tool and is approximate. The information is based on one quesadilla and does not include guacamole and /or sour cream.
Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible.

Nutrition