budge t byt e s.blo gspo t .co m
http://budgetbytes.blo gspo t.co m/2012/02/hearty-black-bean-quesadillas-661.html
hearty black bean quesadillas $6.61 recipe / $0.66 each
Words. Cannot. Describe. ...how insanely good these are!! T his is my new f avorite recipe, hands down. Hands
down.
So, most people go to Whole Foods to explore their beautif ul produce, organic meat, and other...well, whole
f oods. But me? I'm drawn to the junk f ood and convenience f ood. I think it's because the selection is so
interesting and I f eel a lotless guilty eating it. Plus the f lavors of their "junk f ood" are much more aligned with
my palate than regular junk f ood. Anyway, last week I stopped by to stock up on grains and stuf f f rom the
bulk aisle and I grabbed a couple f rozen quesadillas f or a quick splurge dinner. While they were totally
delicious, I knewthat I could make them better and f or f ar less money. And I did.
I love these quesadillas f or three reasons: 1)they're bursting with f lavor 2)they're SO EASYto make and
3)they're perf ect f or the f reezer! Students and other busy people take note: this recipe is perf ect f or you!
I called them "hearty" black bean quesadillas because they are surprisingly f illing. I hastily ate two and then
promptly f elt like my belly was going to explode. T his is one of those vegetarian recipes that meat eaters
won't f eel deprived eating. Promise.
Total Recipe cost: $6.61
Servings Per Recipe: 10 (one quesadilla each)
Cost per serving: $0.66
Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 10 min. Total: 25 min.
INGREDIENT S
COST
1 (15 oz.) can
black beans**
$0.56
1 cup
f rozen corn kernels
$0.48
1/2 small
red onion
$0.44
1 clove
garlic
$0.08
1/4 bunch
f resh cilantro
$0.21
2 cups
shredded cheese
$2.50
1 batch
taco seasoning
$0.34
10 taco sized
tortillas
$2.00
T OTAL
$6.61
**I used black beans that I cooked from dry in my slow cooker using this method. It's easy, requires almost no
effort, and is about 1/3 the cost of a can of beans.
ST EP 1:Drain the can of beans and rinse lightly. Place the beans in a large bowl along with the corn (no need
to thaw).
ST EP 2:Rinse the cilantro, remove the leaves, and chop roughly. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the
cilantro, onion, garlic, and shredded cheese to the bowl with the beans and corn. Lastly, mix up a batch of
taco seasoningand add to the bowl. Stir everything until evenly mixed.
ST EP 3:Place a half cup of the f illing on one side of each tortilla and f old over. Cook in a skillet on both
sides over medium heat until brown and crispy and the cheesy f illing has melted.
ST EP 4:To f reeze the quesadillas, simply f ill each one and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment
paper. Place in the f reezer f or one hour to solidif y the quesadillas and then transf er to a f reezer bag. To
reheat either microwave (f or a sof t quesadilla) or cook in a skillet on low heat (make sure to use low heat so
that the f illing has time to thaw and melt bef ore the outside burns).
St ep By St ep Phot os
This was my inspiration. They really were delicious, but at $3.99 for a box of two, I knew I could do better!
Start with the beans and corn. No need to even thaw the corn. Drain the can of beans (or homemade) and rinse
just slightly. It's good to have some of the starchy bean goo in there because it will help the filling stick together.
Next chop the veggies. I used half a red onion, one clove of garlic, and about a quarter bunch of cilantro. These
quantities do not need to be set in stone, adjust as needed for what you have on hand or what you taste
preference dictates. Make sure to rinse the cilantro, it tends to be sandy.
Add the chopped veggies to the bowl.
Add the shredded cheese to the bowl as well. The cheese kind of acts like a glue for the filling once it's melted.
Add the taco seasoning. I suggest using corn starch in the taco seasoning blend because you will have a lot of
rogue juice coming out of the corn and onion as the quesadillas heat. The corn starch will help keep everything
in place and prevent sogginess.
Stir until everything is evenly coated. The starchy black bean "goo" helps coat everything nicely.
Now it's time to stuff the quesadillas. Place a half cup of filling in each tortilla and fold it over. You can either
cook them or freeze them at this point.
To cook them, place the quesadilla in a skillet over medium heat and cook on both sides until golden brown,
crispy, and the filling has melted. If you're not using a non-stick skillet, you may need some oil to keep it from
sticking.
To freeze, place them on a baking sheet covered in parchment and then freeze for one hour or until solid.
Then, transfer to an air-tight freezer bag. Don't forget to transfer them into the bag or else they'll dry out! If you
don't think you'll eat them up in a month or two, I'd suggest wrapping each one in an extra layer of plastic wrap
to prevent freezer burn and drying out. Personally, I know mine won't last that long ;)
I usually use a pizza cutter to slice my quesadillas into wedges. Nom nom nom!