Cheesy Pinto Bean Quesadillas

I have to admit that pinto beans are my favourite kind of dried bean.  Whenever a recipe asks for black beans or kidney beans, I substitute pinto beans. I don't mind black beans but when I try to cook them, they never seem to get soft, no matter how many hours I simmer them. Of course, I never buy cans of precooked dried beans because it is so easy to soak and cook them at home. Maybe if I tried the precooked canned black beans, I would change my mind - but probably not. The top picture shows the quesadillas after they are baked.

If you'd like to try your hand at making gluten-free oat flour tortillas, which is what you see in these pictures, you can find the recipe here

 

Spicy Pinto Bean Quesadillas

 

Yield: about 8, depending on size of your soft tortillas

 

Ingredients

·      1 tablespoon olive oil

·      1 onion, chopped

·      1 teaspoon cumin

·      ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder or ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder

·      ¼ teaspoon pepper

·      ½ teaspoon sea salt

·      1 - 19 oz can (or 2 ½ cups) pinto beans, drained

·      ½ cup frozen corn kernels

·      large gluten-free tortillas

·      cheddar cheese, shredded

·      sour cream

 

Method

·      Preheat oven to 425 F, and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

·      In a large frying pan—I like cast iron—heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, cayenne, chipotle, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened—about 8 minutes.

·      Add pinto beans and corn and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through—about 5 minutes.

·      Place about ½ cup of the bean mixture over half of each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, and then fold the tortilla in half. If it doesn’t want to stay there, I found that using a wooden toothpick can help hold it in place. Place on prepared baking sheet.

·      Bake in oven until golden, about 10–15 minutes.

·      Serve topped with sour cream.

·      Freeze the bean mixture in sealed containers in whatever portion size you choose.

 

This recipe takes very little time if you already have the tortillas, and it is a filling and satisfying meal. You'll notice that I put cayenne or chipotle powder in the ingredient list. That's because a little goes a long way with these dried peppers, and I found it a little over the top to have both. But you may not agree. I do love the smoky flavour that chipotle (smoked dried jalapeno) powder imparts. Regardless of your choice, having a little chocolate afterwards is a lovely finish, and helps cool the heat.