Black Bean Quesadilla Nachos
Black Bean Quesadilla Nachos- Swap out tortilla chips with cheesy, baked quesadillas. Then, top with seasoned beans and all the fixings for a fun twist on a game day favorite!
January 25, 2021 by Nicole Collins
We’re theming it up again this week!
Last week…we brunched!
This week…we’re making game day eats!
Honestly, I didn’t necessarily set out to have two food themed weeks back to back, but here we are. I’m not mad about it. Are you?
We’re just under 2 weeks away from Superbowl, and we all know that Superbowl is as much about the food as it is about the football. Some, like myself, would argue that the football is just a formality.
Who’s with me?
I couldn’t tell you who’s playing in the Superbowl. Do we even know that yet? I don’t know, and I don’t care. But, I can tell you what I’ll be eating. And, it will be one of everything that we’re making this week.
So, let’s kick things off with our first game day recipe. Today, we’re making Black Bean Quesadilla Nachos!
This is the first of 3 reimagined game day snacks that we’re making this week. And, it’s very possible this one is my favorite!
So, let’s break this down. We’re swapping out tortilla chips for adorable, oven baked, cheesy quesadillas. Then, we’re cutting them into wedges to look like nacho chips, topping them with alllllll the things, and finishing them off with some hearty black beans. Even when we’re not celebrating game day, this is a perfect #MeatlessMonday meal too!
Let’s talk quesadilla “nacho chips”. We’re going to start with small, 6 inch flour tortillas. Now, there are 2 schools of thought when it comes to assembling quesadillas: some people like to take a whole tortilla, cover the whole thing in cheese, and lay another tortilla on top of everything; and some people (like myself) prefer 1 tortilla stuffed and folded in half. I totally prefer the folded method, because you get a nice crispy edge on at least 2 of your tortilla wedges. And, that’s the best part to me! I don’t understand the open surface area method, but to each their own, right? Regardless, we’re going to load our tortillas up with cheddar and colby jack cheese, fold the tortillas, brush them with a little olive oil, and pop them in the oven to get perfectly crispy.
Now these mini quesadillas are giving us double the crunch factor; because not only do the tortilla shells get golden and crispy, but any cheese that oozes out of the tortilla while baking gets nice and crunchy on the sheet pan too. It. Is. Epic.
The next layer of our nachos is the protein layer! We’re going to skip the meat, and fill these up with the easiest, most flavorful, hearty black beans. All we need to do is take a can of black beans, give them a rinse, then toss them in a saucepan with your favorite store bought jarred salsa, some chili powder, and a sprinkle of cumin. Mix it up. Let it heat through. Beans are done!
The final step is to load our nachos up with the toppings of our dreams. Here’s the great thing about nachos. You can top them with anything you want! In this recipe, I used the combos and quantities that I love for these nachos, but feel free to take a little creative freedom here. Like things spicy? Add some jalapenos! Like a little tang? Throw on some olives! For me, I decided to top these with some shredded spinach, sliced radishes, chopped tomatoes, sliced shallot, and the biggest dollops of mashed avocado and sour cream that I could fit on the pile. All of these things are EXCELLENT choices!
These nachos are the absolute best. They’re cheesy from the inside out while still giving you all the crispy crunch you desire. The beans mimic taco meat in the very best way…any hard core carnivore will totally approve of these nachos. And, all those toppings might just be the best part. The warm and cold temperatures combined with the soft and crunchy textures make for the most nachorific bite there ever was.
EPIC.
And, we could almost argue that these are a little on the healthier side. So regardless of who wins the football game, we’re all winners!!!
Ok, everyone! The game day eats continue on Wednesday, and I can’t wait for you to see what’s next!
I hope you enjoy! And, let’s eat!
Black Bean Quesadilla Nachos
Serves: 4-6 Print
Ingredients:
For the Quesadillas:
8 6-inch flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup shredded colby jack
1 tsp olive oil
olive oil cooking spray
For the Black Beans:
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup prepared salsa
½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp cumin
To Serve:
½ cup spinach, shredded
1 radish, thinly sliced
½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp red onion, thinly sliced
1 avocado, mashed
½ tsp lime juice
salt, to taste
sour cream, for garnish
Directions:
Make the Quesadillas: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Set aside.
Mix cheddar and colby jack cheese together. Take one tortilla, and fill half of the tortilla with ¼ cup cheese. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the cheese, and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and cheese. Brush the top sides of the quesadillas with olive oil. Bake for 7 minutes, flip the quesadillas, and bake for an additional 6-7 minutes until the tortillas are golden brown. When cool enough to handle, cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges.
Meanwhile, make the Black Beans: To a medium saucepan, add beans, salsa, chili powder, and cumin. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium high heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Assemble the Nachos: Spread quesadilla wedges all over a serving tray. Top with black beans, shredded spinach, sliced radishes, tomatoes, and red onion. In a small bowl, combine mashed avocado, lime juice, and a pinch of salt, to taste. Dollop mashed avocado mix over the nachos. Top with sour cream, if desired. Serve!
Recipe notes:
*I like to fold my tortilla in half, then unfold it before I start filling the tortilla. It helps me visualize the half way line so I know how far towards the middle to take the filling. I also think it helps the tortilla stay closed when you fold it over the filling.
*If you like things spicy, feel free to replace the colby jack cheese with pepperjack cheese, and add some sliced or pickled jalapeno on top of these nachos.
*Use your favorite brand of jarred salsa for the recipe.
*The cool thing about nachos is that you can add as much or as little of a topping as you like. So, feel free to load these up with your favorite things!
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