Quesadillas have become a favorite in my house; they’re on regular rotation in the weeknight dinner category. They’re also quite good eaten at room temperature with a little salsa and/or sour cream for lunch the next day, and it’s easy to make extra. Finger Lakes Fresh is now selling delicious, all-natural whole grain tortillas made with locally-grown spelt, corn, rye and wheat that we use for our quesadillas. I stuff them with roasted squash, black beans, sweet bell peppers and onions, and whatever cheese strikes my fancy that day.
Roasted Squash, Black Bean, Pepper & Sweet Onion Quesadillas
Recipe and photos by Amy Maltzan
Makes 3 large quesadillas, for about 4 servings
1 medium butternut squash, halved and seeded salt and pepper 1 large onion, halved, ends trimmed, and cut into ½-inch thick wedges 1 large bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges olive oil 1 cup cooked black beans (either cooked from dried beans or canned) 1½ to 2 cups shredded cheese, such as sharp cheddar, monterey jack, or muenster 6 10-inch whole-grain flour tortillas (we like the ones from Finger Lakes Fresh)Preheat oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, season squash halves with salt and pepper, and lay halves cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Scoop squash out of halves, mash with a fork until smooth, season with salt and pepper. Remove 1 cup of squash from the mixture and store the rest for another use. (Can be done ahead.)
Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss onion and pepper wedges with a generous glug of olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet and bake in same oven as squash until tender and slightly browned, about 30 minutes. (Can be done ahead.)
When ready to cook the quesadillas, get your ingredients ready: Mix the beans together with the peppers and onions in one bowl, place your mashed squash in a second bowl, and your cheese in a third bowl. Preheat a heavy pan (like a cast-iron skillet or grill pan) over medium-high heat. Place one tortilla on the skillet, and use a spoon to quickly spread a third of the squash over the tortilla. Top with a generous a third of the bean/pepper/onion mixture and a third of the cheese. Cover with the other tortilla and smush down a bit.
When first side has browned slightly, carefully use a spatula to lift and flip the entire quesadilla over; smush down a bit again. After the second side has browned, remove to a cutting board.
Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. When all quesadillas have cooked, cut each into 4 wedges and serve.
Amy Maltzan is an avid cook, gardener and farmers’ market shopper. She blogs about seasonal home cooking at eggsonsunday.wordpress.com.
This recipe originally appeared in our September/October 2014 issue
