Vegan Sweet Potato Quesadillas

A staple amongst late-night snackers and Mexicans alike - the quesadilla. But without cheese, how do you replicate that same delicious taste without doing the entire nation of Mexico a disservice? Sweet potatoes, black beans, corns, avocado, and cilantro is how. Buckle up, we’re making Mexican food.

Skip to any part of the recipe by clicking on the link below:

• Introduction

• Before We Get Started

• Ingredients

• Method

• Spruce it Up

Introduction

Draw yourself a Venn diagram. Label one circle “Things Late Night Snackers Like” and the other, “Things Mexican People Like”. Right in the middle, you’ll find a metric sh….well, a whole lot of Mexican food. From burritos to tacos, to churros and taquitos. But the holy grail, through a combination of taste and ease, one dish, one delicious gift from the Gods, reigns supreme.

The quesadilla.

“But, Jake?”, you ask, “How do we make a quesadilla without any cheese?”. Kick your feet up and buckle down, because I’m about to show you.

Take your favourite burrito toppings - your black beans, corn, cilantro, avocado (and it doesn’t even cost an extra $2 this time '‘round), and your favourite hot sauce. Mix ‘em all together with perfectly oven-roasted sweet potatoes, caked in sugar (not really) and spice (really), and everything nice. Even throw in some plant-based cheese if you have any on hand. Then, toss it all on a tortilla, fold it in half, squish it down with those big muscles you’ve been working out over the past 10 months, and toss it in a pan.

And that’s all she wrote.

The secret to this recipe is to add spices, and, most importantly, salt to your sweet potatoes before throwing them in the oven. No spice means no flavour, so don’t miss out! Add some salt at the beginning, try a sweet potato when it comes out of the oven, and add more salt as needed. Another tip, if the sweet potato is too sweet, hit it with a tiny bit of vinegar or lime juice, and it’ll reduce that sweetness.

Check out the Spruce it Up section for ideas on how to take this recipe to the next level.

Before We Get Started

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Total Time: 40 Minutes

Yield: 4 Quesadillas

Ingredients

• 4 Tortillas

• 2 Sweet Potatoes

• 2 tsp. Chili Powder

• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder

• 1 tsp. Onion Powder

• 1 tsp. Cumin

• 1/4 tsp. Cayenne

• 1 can Black Beans

• 1 cup Corn

• 1/4 Red Onion

• 1 Garlic clove

• 1 Tomato

• 1 Avocado

• 1/3 cup Cilantro

• Lime Juice

Method

1. Set your oven to 375°F.

2. Dice your sweet potatoes in cubes a bit bigger than a die. Add them to a bowl with a good splash of oil, all of your spices, and a big pinch of salt. Give the bowl a good toss to coat the sweet potato, then empty the bowl out onto a tin-foil lined baking tray.

   • Make sure all of the SP are in a singular layer, none are stacked on top of another. Use your hands to push them about.

3. Once your oven comes to temperature, throw your sweet potatoes in for 20 minutes.

4. While your SP are cooking, rinse and add your black beans and corn into the same bowl. Hit them with a bit of salt and a splash of lime juice.

5. Dice your red onion, garlic, tomato, avocado, and cilantro. Add to the bowl with the corn and black beans, and use a spoon to mix them all together.

6. Once the 20-minute timer expires on the oven for the SP, take them out, and flip them. Put them back into the oven for another 5 minutes.

   • Don’t worry about flipping every last cube. Just do your best and pick them up in big groups with a spatula to make it easier on yourself.

7. Take the SP out of the oven once the timer expires. Add them to a new bowl, and give them a light mash, so that it is mashed potato consistency but with big chunks throughout. Add that mixture to the bowl with all of your veg, and combine. Taste, and add salt as needed (or a splash of vinegar if too sweet).

8. Place a pan on medium/medium-high heat, with oil. While your pan is coming to temp, place a few tortillas onto your cutting board. Scoop a good amount of your mixture onto one side of each tortilla, fold the other side over, and use your fingers to push that mixture towards the perimeter of your semi-circle. Try to flatten the tortilla as much as possible without your veg flying out.

9. Place your tortilla into the pan, and cook on one side until golden brown, then flip. Repeat. Remove from the pan once both sides have that signature golden glow.

10. Enjoy.

Spruce it Up

• You can go a ton of different directions with this, so don’t be afraid to experiment. You could try:

  • Spicy Tofu Quesadillas with Caramelized Onions

  • Avocado and Herb Quesadillas

  • Fajita Quesadillas

• Like heat? Add red chilis, jalapenos, or more cayenne to your mixture.

• Don’t want to fry your quesadilla? Brush with a bit of oil, and toss into a 375°F oven until golden brown on both sides.