Black Bean & Pepper Quesadillas with Homemade Pico de Gallo

the only pico my husband will eat

I love making quesadillas at home. This might be silly, but they’re something I really look forward to. They remind me of being a kid, I guess?

The best thing about these quesadillas is the thin, flaky tortillas I found in the grocery store. Did you know that you can buy uncooked flour tortillas? They’re perfect for fresh-tasting quesadillas. I use the Tortilla Land brand, which I’ve seen at Kroger, Walmart, and Meijer (not always in stock, but you can check here for availability.

Can’t find them? Don’t worry. You can still make a perfectly good quesadilla with pre-cooked tortillas!

And the pico de gallo really is the only one Stephen will eat. He ate the whole bowl, if that’s any indication of how good it is homemade!

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Black Bean & Pepper Quesadillas with Homemade Pico de Gallo
Cook time = 40 minutes
Serves: 4

For Dietary Restrictions

• Gluten free: Use corn tortillas, or make a grain bowl with rice as your base.

• Dairy free: use dairy-free cheese

Kids Can Help

• Wash veggies, open and rinse beans, cook tortillas (older kids)

Ingredients

• 1 package large uncooked flour tortillas (usually located near the cheese in the dairy aisle), or regular flour tortillas (8 ct)

• 1 tsp olive oil

• Salt

• 1 red bell pepper

• 1 14 oz can black beans

• 16 oz shredded Mexican cheese

• 8 oz sour cream

For the pico de gallo:

• 3 roma tomatoes

• ½ bunch cilantro

• ½ bunch green onion

• 1-2 Tbsp lime juice

• ¼ tsp salt

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Directions

Step 1

Heat a large metal skillet with lid (or cast-iron if you have one) over medium heat. Cook tortillas until lightly brown on both sides.

Step 2

Slice bell pepper into thin strips (about ¼ inch).

Step 3

In the same skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until soft (about 5 minutes). Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

Step 4

While bell pepper is cooking, rinse beans in hot water. Drain and set aside.

Step 5

Return one of the tortillas to the pan; lower heat to lowest setting. Cover with a thin layer of cheese, peppers, and beans, then top with a thin, even layer of cheese. Place the second tortilla on top; cover and allow to cook 1-2 minutes. Flip and cover again for 1-2 more minutes until cheese has melted.

Step 6

Continue following step 5 until all quesadillas have been made; meanwhile, move on to step 7.

Step 7

While quesadillas are cooking, make the pico de gallo: chop tomatoes and green onion into small pieces; mince cilantro. Mix all and add 1 T lime juice and salt; mix again and adjust salt or lime juice if necessary.

Step 8

Serve quesadillas with pico and sour cream. Enjoy!