How delicious are these quesadillas? Let’s listen in on a conversation Nathan and I had earlier tonight, when we’d both just gotten home and both our stomachs were growling:
“We need dinner,” I told him. “We have two options. We can have spaghetti with the veggie meatballs -”
“Did I mention those meatballs were really, really good?” he interrupts. (They are good. I’ll be sharing that recipe in a few days, just as soon as I get some pictures.)
“- or sweet potato quesadillas,” I finish.
He does not hesitate for a second. “The quesadillas.” There was no competition.
Sweet potatoes are good for many, many things, and I don’t use them often enough, or creatively enough. I’ll usually just bake them and mash them, to eat as a side dish. But in this dinner, they’re the stars. They’re quite literally the secret ingredient. I will confess that I’ve started keeping already-baked sweet potatoes in the fridge just so I can make this recipe. It’s rapidly becoming one of our favorite dishes.
If you have baked sweet potato on hand, it only takes about 15 minutes to make. If not, then what were you thinking? But it’s not the end of the world, because it only takes about an hour to bake them at 425, and you can speed the process by microwaving them for about 5 minutes, then finishing them in the oven. (Or just cook them in the microwave until they’re soft, but I don’t think they taste as good.)
You can season these however you want, but I think they’re great with just a few spoonfuls of salsa mixed in. You could go crazy and add spices, maybe a little cumin or cinnamon, dice some onions, chop some garlic, maybe sauté some peppers… but if you just want to stir in some salsa from a jar, it’ll be just fine.
Sweet Potato Quesadillas
- Some baked, mashed sweet potato (about 1 medium potato for every 2 people)
- Some cheese (I like sharp cheddar)
- Some salsa (pretty much any kind)
- Some tortillas
Mix the salsa (or other seasonings of your choice) into the sweet potato.
Spread the sweet potato about 1/4 inch thick over a tortilla. Cover with shredded cheese. Then cover with another tortilla.
Fry the whole thing in a large frying pan (no oil needed) over medium heat for a couple minutes. When the cheese is just beginning to get melty, flip it over (carefully! but it should hold together fine) and cook it on the other side for a couple minutes more. The tortillas should develop some pleasing black spots, but should not burn.
Serve piping hot and try not to burn your fingers as you gobble it up.
