Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas

Black beans and sweet potato are a marriage made in heaven. Not only because you’re essentially eating carbs with carbs, but the way they take on flavour and add such a gorgeous texture to these quesadillas is almost too much to bare sometimes.

And when cheese gets involved, because let’s be real a quesadilla ain’t a quesadillas if there’s not cheese, things just go to a whole new level.

Tips for the perfect Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadilla

• Roasting – Yep, you guessed it. This recipe is called roasted sweet potato quesadillas for a reason. You know, there are a fair few recipes out there that boil the sweet potato before adding it as a filling and I have actually tried that. However I find it offers a much weaker texture than roasting, for the pure reason that you’re adding water to the potatoes, causing them to fall soggy in the centre. Roasting the sweet potatoes offers a firmer and slightly crunchier texture. You get a beautiful caramelised casing to the potato with far more developed flavours from the spices, something unfortunately boiling can’t compete with. Sure it takes a little more time to roast, but trust me, it’s worth it.

• Lightly Smash – Because you’ve got that nice little crunch from roasting in the oven, it’s important to not mash the sweet potatoes to oblivion, else you’ll lose that gorgeous texture the oven worked so hard to get. My experience in life has taught me not to annoy the oven, it does good things for you.

• Lime Juice – The lime juice is actually quite an important ingredient in this recipe. You’ve got the sweet vibes from the potato, the saltiness from the cheese and the heat from the spices. Therefore I find a gentle squeeze of lime juice not only helps balance everything out, but also compliments the flavours of the dish in general.

All in all these sweet potato black bean quesadillas are such a good time. Super flavoursome and really fun to play around with. Perfect for the vegetarians among us and easy to adapt to our vegan friends. A really hearty dish that’s gonna work great as a lunch or dinner and most importantly, a really delicious dish that I’m confident you’re going to fall in love with. Happy quesadillas cooking

Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas Recipe
Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas are the best vegetarian quesadillas you’ll ever taste. So easy to make and most importantly incredibly delicious and filling!



Ingredients

• 2 Large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and sliced into chunks
• 4 Large White Tortilla Wraps
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper (or to preference)
• 1/2 can of Black Beans, rinsed
• 2 Large handfuls of Cheddar
• Juice from 1/2 a Lime
• Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
• Olive Oil (see note A)

Extras 'n' optionals:

• Avocado
• Jalapeno
• Fresh Coriander
• Extra Limes
• Sour Cream
• Salsa
• Guac

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 220c (430f). 
2. Place your spuds in a suitably sized oven dish and give them a good drizzle of Oil. Add in your Smoked Paprika, Cumin, Ground Coriander, Cayenne Pepper, Salt & Pepper and give them a mix to completely coat them. Pop in the oven for a good 30-40mins or until softened with a caramelized outing.
3. When the dish has cooled down a little, grab a potato masher and roughly smash your Sweet Potatoes. Place to one side.
4. Take a Tortilla and lightly brush one side of it with Oil. Place on a griddle pan (see note B) oiled side face down, making sure the hob is turned off. Spread on half of your Sweet Potato mash, top with half your Black Beans, 1 Handful of Cheese, a squeeze of Lime Juice and Seasoning if needed. Place a second Tortilla on top, press down to contain the filling and lightly brush the top with Oil.
5. At this point turn the hob onto a medium heat and fry for around 6-8 mins on each side, or until griddle marks appear with a golden surrounding. If you tap on the Quesadillas it should sound slightly hollow and crunchy.
6. Serve with any additional toppings and sides (suggestions in ingredients). Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

a) Oil - Other oils such as Avocado, Sunflower and Canola Oil also work great for this recipe. They have a much higher smoking point so should caramelize the sweet potato more effectively in the oven. However, for convenience reasons Olive Oil works absolutely fine.

b) Size - If you don't own a griddle pan, a standard pan will be fine. If the Tortilla doesn't fit, then simply spread the ingredients over one half and fold it over. Alternatively feel free to use a panini grill if you have one.

c) Flipping - I find the easiest way to flip the quesadillas is to place a plate over the top, flip the pan over so the quesadilla is on the plate, then slide it back on the griddle to fry the other side.

d) Dryness - I've eaten these quesadillas many a time by themselves and they taste fantastic. However, sometimes it's a good idea to pair them with a sauce or dip to reduce any risk of you finding them dry. My recommendations are Homemade Fresh Salsa and Guac!

e) Notes from readers - Sauteed onions and peppers go perfectly if you add them in the filling. If you're adapting to vegan and adding vegan cheese, be sure to use a brand you know and love. Warning - they are filling.

f) Calories - Based between 4 people with no sides or dips.

Recipe Adapted : Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas @ dontgobaconmyheart

Share this post