I’ll admit that I had some reservations about making a quesadilla filling out of mashed sweet potatoes when I first came up with this crazy idea, but I’m so glad I followed through with it!
After mashing the potatoes with plenty of spices, adding some black beans and roasted corn, grilling the quesadillas until crispy, and then topping with a drizzle of cashew cream and a dollop of guacamole, wow – these bizarre little quesadillas are insanely delicious. They’re actually one of the best meals I’ve made in a while, and it’s all about kicking up that sweet potato filling with just the right ingredients like lime juice, cilantro, beans, corn, and plenty of spice. You’ve got to give these a try:
Makes 4 quesadillas
Ingredients:
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 1/2 cups cooked corn
- 1 1/2 cups black beans
- 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 8 whole grain tortillas
- Nutritional yeast (optional)
- Guacamole, for serving
- Cashew cream, see below
Prep: If making the cashew cream (see below), soak about 1/2 cup of raw cashew pieces at least an hour before preparing.
Step One
First, set a large pot of water to boil and peel three medium-sized sweet potatoes. Chop them into rounds or cubes and carefully add to the boiling water for 15+ minutes, until fully cooked and soft enough to mash. Drain from the water and transfer to a large bowl.
Step Two
Mash the potatoes with a large fork, potato masher, or hand mixer. Then, add the spices listed above: 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper to start, along with some chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, and about 1 1/2 cups of cooked corn (I used frozen fire-roasted kernels) and about 1 1/2 cups of black beans (drained and rinsed, if using canned). Mix all this together and give it a taste. At this point, you’ll probably need more spices and/or salt so don’t be afraid to keep shakin’ until it tastes perfect.
Step Three
Grab some whole wheat tortillas and generously spoon about 1/4 of the filling onto one tortilla and smooth it out to the edges. If you’d have some on hand, also sprinkle a little nutritional yeast on top. Then place a second tortilla directly over top and gently press down. Repeat this process with the other three quesadillas. Then, grab your skillet or stove-top grill and when it reaches a high enough temperature, simply grill each side of each quesadilla for 3-4 minutes until the tortillas start to brown and become crispy.
Step Four
It’s that simple! Remove from the heat, slice with a pizza cutter or large knife and serve with a drizzle of cashew cream and some guacamole and/or salsa for an amazing meal.
Cashew Sour Cream
You know the drill. I use cashew cream on pretty much all of my recipes and this is no exception. To make, blend 1/3 cup soaked and drained raw cashews with the juice of 1 lime, a few tablespoons of water, a tablespoon of nutritional yeast (optional), and a few pinches of salt until completely smooth. Slowly add water until it’s somewhat thick but still drizzleable as pictured. It takes these quesadillas to another level.
My mouth is watering and I just ate a big dinner… That’s sayin’ something. 😉
It is just unbelievable how versatile sweet potatoes are! My father always says he is not a ‘ sweet potato kinda guy’ (seriously who isn’t?!), but I think this recipe might convince him, thanks for sharing.
This was incredibly delicious! My wife thought it was an adventurous dinner. Thanks!
Hey Hens! Awesome, I’m glad you guys liked it. Adventurous dinners are always fun 🙂
What a fantastic idea! I had some fresh chili peppers that I needed to use and they balanced out the sweetness nicely. I definitely will be making these again.
This was really really good! Thanks
Fantastic recipe! We loved it and will make again. The cashew cream will also become a new staple. Thank you!
Very cool! I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed it. Cashew cream is amazing (which is why I use it in half my recipes…) 🙂
This is the second time I’ve made this and WOW it is a winner and crowd pleaser! Husband and my two discerning children loved it!! The flavors blend and balance so we’ll — from the spicy sweet sweet potato filling to the creamy zesty cashew sauce to the chunky guacamole plopped on top! This is so delicious!! Andrew your recipes never fail me!
Nice! I’m so happy to hear that you all liked it. Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Oh my gosh I just made this, and it’s sooooo good! Thank you for making such simple, healthy recipes!
Nice!! I’m glad you liked it, you’re very welcome 🙂