Chili Quesadillas: The Best of Both Worlds

I'm a fan of two-fors. You know what I'm talking about, buy one get one free, people who can sing and dance, or better yet, chili recipes that also make for bangin' quesadillas. I don't know what came over me, but I was sitting there making my beloved sweet potato/quinoa chili and had the brilliant idea: these would make for delicious quesadillas!

So first things first, you need to make yourself a batch of chili. This chili is one of my favorites, it's simple, light and packed with super nutritious foods. That's right, it's good and good for you!

What you need: 

- one 29 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- one 6 oz can tomato paste
- 4 c vegetable stock
- 1 onion, chopped
- 6-7 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 TB chili powder
- 1 TB cumin- 1 ts oregano
- 1 TB olive oil
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
- 1 c dry quinoa
- salt and pepper to taste
- avocado, cheddar cheese, and cilantro for garnish  (optional)

What you do:

Heat the oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium low heat. 

Add onions, and cook until soft and they start to turn brown (about 10 minutes). 

Add the garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes. 

Then add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 

Add the beans, stock, and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper .

Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the quinoa. 

Continue cooking for about 15 minutes – 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until quinoa and potatoes are cooked and the chili has thickened. Add a bit of water if the chili becomes too thick. Top with avocado, cheese and cilantro. 

YUMMMMMM.

Now lets talk quesadillas. 

What you need:

- corn tortillas

- sweet potato/black bean chili (obviously)

- shredded cheddar cheese

- vegetable oil (makes the tortillas really brown up!)

What you do: 

Heat up some vegetable oil in a non-stick pan and throw a corn tortilla on there. Spread some cheese and let it melt a little bit. Add chili and top with another tortilla. Wait 2-3 minutes and flip and let it cook on the other side. Cut and enjoy!!!

The flavor from the chili really adds a ton to these bad boys--they are not your average tex-mex quesadilla. No way.