Baked Black Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

These crispy, cheesy baked black bean quesadillas are easy to make and baked all at once.  Simple. Healthy, Delicious.  

 Mexican food has been on my mind lately, so I whipped up this easy recipe for baked black bean and cheese quesadillas for a recent lunch. Instead of standing at the stove and making the quesadillas one by one, I threw them on a sheet pan and baked them all at once. These sheetpan black bean and cheese quesadillas were crispy, cheesy, and tasty! We all enjoyed our lunch and thought they paired nicely with guacamole, salsa, hot sauce, and a Mexican wedge salad.

Baked Black Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp + more for brushing on tortillas, olive oil
• 3 tbsp yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp red bell pepper, finely diced
• ¼ jalapeno, finely diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp cumin
• ⅛ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 (15-oz) can of black beans, drained & rinsed
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Flour tortillas *I used 4 soft taco-sized tortillas
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Serving:

• Guacamole
• Salsa
• Hot sauce
• Sour cream

How to Make Baked Black Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes.

Add the minced garlic, smoked paprika, and cumin to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Add the black beans and toss to coat evenly. Remove from the heat. Taste the mixture, then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Brush one side of a flour tortilla with olive oil, then place it oil side down on the baking sheet.

Add a little shredded cheese to one-half of the tortilla, followed by a few spoonfuls of the black beans.

Top with more cheese, green onions, and chopped cilantro. Fold the other half over and repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Bake for 6 minutes, then carefully flip them over and continue baking for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Remove from the oven and cut into wedges.

Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve with guacamole, salsa, hot sauce, and sour cream.  Serve and enjoy.