For me, quesadillas are comfort food. Maybe it’s because my roots lie in the south, but whatever it is, they never fail to hit the spot.

The best ones are crisp on the outside and have just the right amount of cheese. Too much and the whole thing gets greasy and soggy. The cheese to me is really more of a binding agent to hold the whole thing together. Of course, I realize that the dish is called a QUESA-dilla, but that’s just my humble opinion. Feel free to disagree.

For the sake of a healthier dish, my style of quesadilla fits the bill. This one is packed with yummy and protein-filled black beans and crunchy carrots, onion and corn. It reminds me a lot of the one they serve at Tin Star in Dallas, but again, with less cheese!

I usually buy standard tomato salsa, but the colorful packaging on Rick Bayless’ version of tomatillo sauce caught my eye. It was a good choice, if you’re grocery sells it, try it. I’m sure any of his varieties are impressive.

I realize my choice of ‘comfort food’ is probably not in line with most people’s, but it is just so satisfying! What’s your comfort food of choice?

Black Bean & Veggie Quesadillas

Serves: 1 • Prep Time: 10 minutes • Cook Time: 8 minutes
Nutrition per Serving Cal: 452.6 • Fat: 12.8g • Carb: 62.1g • Protein: 25.5g • Fiber: 30.6 g • Sugar: 3.7g

Ingredients

• 1/4 tsp canola oil
• 2 Tbsp chopped red onion
• 2 Tbsp carrot, diced finely
• 2 Tbsp canned corn, drained
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 large burrito style tortilla (I used whole wheat Carb balance from Mission)
• 1/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese blend, shredded
• 1/2 cup black beans
• S&P to taste
• 3 Tbsp tomatillo salsa

Method

• Heat the oil over medium high heat in a skillet. When hot, add red onion and carrot. Saute for 3 minutes, add corn and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, heat another skillet over medium heat.
• Place tortilla on a flat surface and cover half of it with 1/8 cup of cheese. Top with the veggies and then the black beans. Here I sprinkled just a bit of smoked salt on my beans to give a slightly smoky flavor! Top with remaining cheese and fold.
• Spray the skillet with Pam and carefully place the quesadilla in it. Cover to help the cheese melt and cook for 3-5 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy. Flip and continue to cook until the other side is lightly browned.
• Slice into wedges and serve with salsa.