Black-Eyed Pea Quesadilla (Printer-Friendly)

Crispy tortillas filled with seasoned mashed black-eyed peas and melted cheese

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Filling

01 - 1.5 cups cooked black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 0.5 small onion, finely diced
04 - 1 clove garlic, minced
05 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
06 - 0.25 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - Salt and pepper to taste
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
09 - 0.25 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional

→ For the Quesadillas

10 - 8 medium flour tortillas, 8-inch
11 - 1.5 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
12 - 2 tablespoons butter or neutral oil for frying

# Method:

01 - Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
02 - Stir in black-eyed peas, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through.
03 - Remove from heat and coarsely mash the mixture with a potato masher or fork, maintaining some texture. Stir in lime juice and cilantro if desired.
04 - Lay out 4 tortillas and divide the mashed black-eyed pea mixture evenly among them, spreading over half of each tortilla. Sprinkle cheese over the filling and fold each tortilla in half to enclose.
05 - Heat 0.5 tablespoon butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place one or two quesadillas in the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining quesadillas, adding more butter or oil as needed.
06 - Slice quesadillas into wedges and serve hot with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They're ready in 25 minutes flat, which means weeknight dinner without the stress.
  • One quesadilla feels substantial enough to be a meal, but they're light enough that you don't crash afterward.
  • The black-eyed peas give you real staying power, and the spices make them taste nothing like health food.
02 -
  • Don't skip the rinsing step if you're using canned peas—that liquid makes them taste like they came from a can, and nobody wants that.
  • Mash the peas only until they're chunky, not smooth; smooth peas make the filling taste like baby food, and chunky peas give you something to bite into.
  • The heat matters here because too high and the tortilla burns before the cheese melts, too low and it gets soggy instead of crispy.
03 -
  • A cast-iron skillet holds heat better and gets the tortilla crispier, but any skillet will work if that's what you've got.
  • If your tortillas keep cracking when you fold them, wrap them in a damp towel for a few minutes to make them pliable before you try again.
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