Packed with sweet potato, broccoli, peppers, black beans, cheese, and more, these loaded black bean and vegetable quesadillas are filling and super easy to make. Prepare them just like this, or use up leftover roasted vegetables for a quick weeknight dinner win.
I don't think I've met a quesadilla I haven't loved. From chipotle chicken quesadillas to the more unconventionally-flavored Italian sausage quesadillas to the classic weeknight rotisserie-chicken-and-whatever-cheese-is-in-the-fridge quesadilla, I'm happy with anything. These loaded vegetable quesadillas, packed with tasted southwestern-seasoned vegetables, black beans, and cheese is no different.
The nature of this recipe means that it's really easy to customize to use up what you have on hand. Below are the ingredients I used to make the batch pictured here, but mix-and-match veggies and beans as you like, use up what vegetables you have on hand or leftover, etc.
Recipe Ingredients
- Large Tortillas: Minimum 10-inch diameter flour tortillas are nice for quesadillas as you can pack in a good amount of filling in a thinnish single layer. Inevitably when I try to use smaller ones, I overstuff them and create a big mess.
- Sweet Potatoes: All of the vegetables are sautéed, so chop the sweet potato into small, even cubes so it cooks quicker.
- Broccoli: These aren't as size-sensitive as the sweet potatoes, but do chop the florets on the smaller side so there aren't too-large of pieces within the veggie quesadillas to make it messy.
- Peppers: Bell peppers of any color or mini sweet peppers (seen above).
- Beans: Any canned beans will work, I'm partial to black beans. Rinsing and draining canned beans reduces the sodium content.
- Spices: Includes garlic powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, cumin, and black pepper for a southwestern vibe. If you like spicy, add ground chipotle or ancho chili pepper.
- Cheese: Use your favorite: extra-sharp cheddar, pepper jack, etc.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Saute the vegetables in olive oil in stages: first the sweet potato, then the broccoli, onion, and pepper with the seasonings. Once tender, stir in the beans and cilantro (if using).
- Step 2: Assemble the vegetable quesadillas by sprinkling some cheese onto one half of the tortilla, then an even layer of the vegetable/bean mixture, and more cheese. Fold in half.
- Step 3: Brush a thin layer of high-heat cooking oil onto a large pan set over medium heat.
- Step 4: Cook two veggie quesadillas at a time in the pan, back-to-back, until browned and crisp on both sides. Slice into wedges and serve.
Tips and Tricks
- Use very large tortillas. Tortillas with at least a 10-inch diameter works best for these vegetable quesadillas as you can fit a nice amount of filling inside without overstuffing them. 12-inch tortillas work, too, though make sure your pan is large enough to fit them flat.
- Fold your tortillas for less mess. This is instead of spreading cheese and filling over the entire surface of one tortilla and then topping with another whole tortilla. The connected, folded side makes both flipping the quesadilla in the pan and holding the wedges so much easier and less messy.
- Slice smartly. When slicing vegetable quesadillas into three wedges, I like to leave a little tortilla connected along the pointed end of the middle wedge (seen in the picture above) to prevent a messy eating experience.
Variations
Want to switch it up? This recipe has a lot of wiggle room. Here are some ways I've altered it, all with good results.
- Aioli - Spread the inside of the tortilla with a flavored cheater's aioli (made with mayo as a base - no raw eggs). Chipotle aioli, made with chipotle peppers in adobo, is delicious here.
- Spice - Stir your favorite hot sauce into the filling. Just don't use too much that the tortillas become soggy.
- Bumped up nutrition - Use whole wheat tortillas for extra fiber and protein.
- Extra cheese - Spread a Laughing Cow wedge onto both sides of the tortillas. This is one of my long-time favorite quesadilla tips. Besides making things even creamier, it helps the filling stick to the tortillas.
More Tasty Veggie Recipes
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Loaded Vegetable Quesadillas
Packed with sweet potato, broccoli, peppers, black beans, cheese, and more, these loaded black bean and vegetable quesadillas are filling and super easy to make. Prepare them just like this, or use up leftover roasted vegetables for a quick weeknight dinner win.
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Servings: 4 whole quesadillas
Calories: 568kcal
Ingredients
Vegetables and Beans:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 ⅔ cups ½-inch peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
- 2 cups small-chopped broccoli florets
- ¾ cup seeded and small-diced bell peppers or mini sweet peppers
- ⅔ cup diced onion
- ⅔ cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
Seasonings:
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2-3 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro optional
Quesadillas:
- 4 large (10-inch) flour tortillas
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese extra sharp cheddar, pepper jack, etc.
- Higher-heat cooking oil for brushing the pan
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pan (large enough to fit the diameter of your tortillas) set over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potato cubes and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the other Tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add the broccoli, peppers, and onion and stir. Sprinkle all of the seasonings over the vegetables except for the fresh cilantro, if using. Sauté for 8-10 more minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and the rest of the vegetables are fork tender.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the black beans and cilantro, if using.
- Arrange tortillas flat on plates. To each, scatter about 3 Tablespoons of the shredded cheese onto one half of the tortilla. Evenly disperse one-quarter of the sauteed vegetable mixture over top of the cheese, then top with another 3 Tablespoons of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla in half over the filling. Repeat for all tortillas.
- Wipe out the pan to use again, then brush a high-heat cooking oil in a thin layer along the bottom. Set the pan over medium heat and once hot, place two of the folded quesadillas in the pan with their straight sides facing one another. Cook until the bottom sides are golden brown, then flip and cook until that side is golden brown, too. Adjust the heat as needed so that they brown and crisp up without burning - the second sides can take less time.
- Repeat with the remaining two quesadillas, adding more oil and adjusting the cooking time as needed as the pan will be well heated by now. Slice each quesadilla into wedges and serve with salsa, sour cream, etc. as dipping sauces.
Notes
- Make sure the sweet potatoes are cut into small, evenly-sized cubes so they cook more quickly.
- Good higher-heat cooking oil options are avocado oil, grape seed oil, or light olive oil.
Nutrition
Serving: 1quesadilla (of 4) | Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 64.1g | Protein: 20.6g | Fat: 26.2g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 1128mg | Potassium: 787mg | Fiber: 7.8g | Sugar: 5g | Calcium: 456mg | Iron: 4mg
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Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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