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Southwestern Sweet Potato Quesadillas

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:

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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.

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12 Comments

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  1. 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.

  2. 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.

    • 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…) 🙂

  3. 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!

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