Baja Quesadillas

August 24, 2020
Posted in: Recipes

Add some protein and nutrition to the traditional Mexican-food favorite with a tasty quesadilla recipe with beans! Using both black and pinto beans, and even zucchini, this quesadilla recipe is chock-full of healthy foods and bold flavors!

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

  • Vegetable cooking spray
  • 1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, sliced
  • 1 cup sliced onion
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 small jalapeqo chili, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained, or 1 3/4 cups cooked dry-packaged black beans
  • 1 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained, or 1 3/4 cups cooked dry-packaged pinto beans
  • 1 cup chopped tomato
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 12 tortillas (6-inch)
  • 3/4 to 1 cup (3 to 4 ounces) shredded four-cheese Mexican blend or reduced-fat four-cheese Mexican blend
  • Salsa, as garnish
  • Sour cream, as garnish

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven at 450 degrees.
  2. Spray large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Sauté zucchini, onion, garlic, jalapeqo chili and cumin until crisp & tender, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add beans to side of skillet; coarsely mash about half the beans. Mix beans, tomato and cilantro into onion mixture and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
  4. Spoon 1/3 cup mixture on one side of each tortilla and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese. Fold tortillas in half and spray both sides with cooking spray.
  5. Bake on cookie sheet until browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes, or cook in large skillet over medium heat until browned, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
  6. Garnish quesadillas with salsa and sour cream.

Tip: Use whole wheat tortillas for a nutty flavor and added fiber, to build off the other healthy components to this quesadilla recipe with beans!

 

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