Corn and black bean quesadillas

Patrick and I love quesadillas but from the looks of the blog and a lack of posts you may not have known we loved quesadillas. The only post I could find in our archives are for charred cauliflower quesadillas (which were amazing). Mushroom quesadillas are usually my go-to when ordering at a Mexican restaurant. 

I imagine the reason we don't have many quesadilla adventures in our kitchen is because nachos are so much easier and are a quick "throw together" weeknight meal for us. Either way these corn and black bean quesadillas were quite the treat and a great use of fresh corn when we had dozens of ears in the kitchen too!


Corn, Black Bean, & Cheddar Quesadillas inspiration from Susan Middleton's The Fresh & Green Table
Serves 4

Ingredients
   For the filling
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
salt to taste
1 1/2 c fresh corn kernels
1/2 tsp Mexican spice blend
1/4 c black beans
   For the quesadillas
1 1/2 c extra sharp cheddar cheese
8 small whole wheat tortillas
2 tsp unsalted butter
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
   Make the filling - in a medium heavy nonstick skillet heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion, pepper, and a little salt. Allow the onion and pepper to caramelize a bit (about 10 minutes) and then add corn. Cook for a few minutes more. Stir in the Mexican blend spice and cook for about 30 seconds then add the black beans.
   Assemble quesadillas - take one tortilla and layer a handful of cheese, scoop of the corn-black bean mixture, another handful of cheese, and a second tortilla for one quesadilla. Make the other 3 quesadillas.
   Cook the quesadillas - in the same skillet you used for the filling, melt a small pat of butter with a drizzle of olive oil and place one quesadilla to brown. After that side has browned, about 3-4 minutes, flip it over and brown the other side. Once the quesadilla has browned on both sides place it in a 250F oven while finishing the other quesadillas.
   Slice into quarters and serve.

We served with sliced avocado, sour cream, and a quinoa rice blend.

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