Sweet Potato Quesadillas
To be honest with you, it was only until I stood back (cheese all over my face) and stared at the crumbs on my plate, when I came to the realisation that there was zero meat involved in this dish. In fact, as I was developing this recipe it never even crossed my mind to add any. Traditional quesadillas call for chicken, sometimes steak. But for me, the heartiness from the sweet potato was everything these quesadillas called for. I mean if you really think about it, this recipe is hardly a surprising appearance on my blog. Carbs between carbs wrapped in melted cheese? C’mon, we all saw this coming 🤣
Sweet Potato and Black Beans
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. As a result, you get these big, bold and hearty quesadillas which in all honesty are to die for.
How to make Sweet Potato Quesadillas
The absolute key to making perfect sweet potato quesadillas is roasting the potato. You know, there are a fair few recipes out there that boil the sweet potato, or simply roast it whole and scoop out the centre. I have actually tried both of these, but both fell short. Apart from obviously cooking the potato, roasting serves two important functions:
Flavour – You get a beautiful caramelised casing to the potato with far more developed flavours from the spices, something unfortunately boiling can’t compete with. Texture – Roasting the sweet potatoes offers a firmer and slightly crunchier texture, which works PERFECTLY in the centre of a quesadilla. Boiling 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.
What spice to use?
Smoked Paprika Cumin Ground Coriander Cayenne Pepper
Keep it simple! Hopefully all of the above should be knocking about in your cupboards.
Pan fried vs baked
Since the potatoes have already been baked, you’ll want to pan fry these quesadillas. Not only will this reduce time, but I find that baking them dries the quesadillas out too much. To pan fry the quesadillas: Just lightly smash the roasted potato, spread over an oiled tortilla, top with black beans, cheese and lime juice, finish with another tortilla and fry both sides!
Tips for Sweet Potato Quesadillas
1. Cheese
I recommend a nice strong cheddar, or something with a good punch of flavour. You want something to counteract the sweetness of the potato. Monterey Jack is also a popular choice.
2. 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.
3. 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. Ugh, just look at that centre! drools uncontrollably
How to serve Quesadillas
One thing to note is these quesadillas are deceivingly filling. Originally I had offered them as a serving between two, forgetting that not everyone has 5 stomachs like me. So feel free to split between 4, two hearty slices of these carb frenzy sweet potato quesadillas, especially with a few extra sides, will definitely get the party going. Because there’s only so much carbs with carbs squashed between carbs someone can take. Lol just kidding there’s literally no limit.
Quesadilla Toppings
Guac Salsa Sour cream Fresh Coriander/Cilantro Fresh Jalapeños Lime
What to serve with Sweet Potato Quesadillas?
My favourite options are Crispy Baked Jalapeño Poppers and Crispy Baked Avocado Fries, but do check out my Quesadilla Sides Dish and Main Sides for more inspo! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these sweet potato quesadillas shall we?!
How to make Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas (Full Recipe & Video)
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Easy Quesadilla Recipes
Ground Beef Quesadillas Chicken Quesadillas Refried Bean Quesadillas Mac n Cheese Quesadillas Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas Quesadilla Cones
