Ground Beef Quesadillas with Black Beans and Two Cheeses
By Emma Collins
Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Precook the beef and black bean filling the day before. Make tortillas right before cooking. The recipe makes four quesadillas filled with shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses and beef and jalapeño, served in crispy flour tortillas.
Extra-lean ground beef keeps the filling less greasy. Onion, garlic, jalapeños, green-chile diced tomatoes, black beans, paprika, and cumin add flavor to the filling. Mozzarella and sharp cheddar cheeses add texture and flavor. Fresh cilantro and filling and cheese are added to one half of a flour tortilla. Tortillas are folded over and pan-fried.
Cook onions until tender and garlic until aromatic. Sauté beef and jalapeños. The cooked filling mixture, including canned beans and tomatoes and other ingredients, should be moist but not soggy. Tip: Do not pack too much filling into each tortilla, or it will be hard to roll up the tortillas and filling will spill out before both sides are toasted.
For meal prep, prepare the beef filling ahead of time and heat before making quesadillas. Slice cooked quesadillas into thirds and serve with guacamole and salsa. Unassembled tortillas will remain crispier than cooked quesadillas stored overnight in the refrigerator.
Why this recipe works
- The meat filling for the quesadillas can be made one day ahead of time to save preparation time when making fresh quesadillas and preserve the tortillas' crisp exterior.
- Separate storage is advised for meal prep to avoid having the seasoned meat mixture turn mushy when reheated and served on tortillas that have been stored in the refrigerator and turned soft.
- Four servings is an appropriate batch size for making quesadillas. The recipe indicates that four to six quesadillas can be prepared, depending on assembly.
- Extra-lean ground beef can help reduce overall fat content of the taco filling and save time, especially if preparing many tacos at once.
- Mozzarella and sharp cheddar are added during assembly to provide a fresh layer of melted, stretchy cheese when the filling is reheated for each serving.
- Skillet cooking time is one to two minutes per side. Small amounts of prepared filling can be quickly cooked to make crispy quesadillas.
Ingredients
- •3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- •1 onion (diced)
- •2 cloves garlic (minced or finely chopped)
- •1 lb ground beef
- •1 jalapeno (finely chopped)
- •1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (such as Rotel Original)
- •1 14 oz can black beans
- •2 tsp paprika
- •2 tsp ground cumin
- •salt (to taste)
- •black pepper (to taste)
- •4 flour tortillas
- •1 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)
- •1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
- •cilantro
Instructions
- 1
Preheat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- 2
Add the diced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring a few times, until softened.
- 3
Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring a few times.
- 4
Add the ground beef and chopped jalapeno; sauté for 5 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through, crumbling it with a wooden spoon.
- 5
Add the diced tomatoes with green chilies, black beans, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper; stir and cook for 3 more minutes.
- 6
Remove the filling from the heat.
- 7
Place mozzarella and cheddar cheese on each tortilla, then add the meat mixture and cilantro.
- 8
Fold each tortilla over.
- 9
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat and cook the quesadillas for about 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown on both sides.
- 10
Cut each quesadilla into 3 pieces and serve with simple guacamole and homemade salsa.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
591
Protein
29g
Fat
43g
Carbs
20g
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