cheesy green chile white bean rice and avocado quesadillas
Hearty, easy, and portable – a perfect picnic nosh.
Howdy doody, folks. Yesterday I received my indoor grow light for my basil babies. I swear I eyeball them every few minutes to see if the new false sunlight has perked them up at all – obviously, that’s my impatient ass expecting immediate gratification, but I really am excited to science this shit. Will it work? Did I waste $12? All reviews point to success, and my mom said it might take around a week to really notice big poofy happy leaves. All I want is joyful plants. They looked a bit sad inside but weren’t thriving on the balcony either. Must keep the kids nourished, you know?
Likewise, I’m here to keep you fed as well, so we’re introducing Wednesday to these rad vegetarian wraps. Crispy, crunchy, cheesy, filled with an herby bean blend, skimping not on the flavor but by far healthier than restaurant food or anything weird and frozen. If you’ve a weekend at the park or beach or wherever you people go nowadays, these are quite portable, too. An added bonus for the mobile amongst us.
I don’t make quesadillas too often, but when I do, they’re worth your attention. I find many combinations overdone and seek some really interesting fillings, and I think this dude qualifies. Not everyday you find rice within a wrap, unless you’re committing 1,000 calories to takeout (which, if that’s your style, by all means) and the white bean sofritos are so good you might go at them with some tortilla chips. Speaking from personal experience here.
Bean Dream
The sole reason to heat up your stove here is to crisp up the wraps. Well, I suppose if you need to cook rice, too, but I had some leftover from another adventure or other. These quesadillas are great for using up stray grains.
Mix up the white beans with fresh herbs, green chiles, lime, cumin, and green onion. Taste for salt and pepper.
Set a big tortilla – think the burrito-sized ones, no miniscule torts here – on a flat surface. Working on one half, layer mashed avocado, rice, white beans, and cheese. I chose a blend of cheddar and monterey jack. I find the folded quesadilla far easier to deal with than a stacked one, so simply lay the ungarnished half overtop the fillings to create something of a half moon shape.
Fry-Day
I managed four well-filled, but not overstuffed, ‘dillas out of my components. I recommend you not jam the wraps to the brim since flipping in the skillet will prove quite daunting.
When ready to cook, heat some oil in a big skillet. I cooked two at a time, but if you haven’t the room, just do them individually. Warm until crispy and golden, about 2-3 minutes per side. If you like a darker tortilla, err on the side of 3 minutes; lighter, around 2.
Divvy up the ‘dillas on plates, slice, and top with an array of your favorite garnishes. I used plain Greek yogurt (sour cream is good too!), chopped lettuce, extra cilantro, and some pickled jalapenos.
These freeze extremely well, if you’re thinking about meal prep or emergency lunches or postpartum munches for those horrible early days or whatever. I like to double the batch and store them for days cooking sounds like shit but I don’t want to resort to anything canned or prepackaged.
If you’re vegan, switch out the regular cheese for a plant-based version, or omit entirely. Still tasty, none of the cow.
Serving suggestions? A slice of Dirty Coconut Chai Tres Leches Cake, of course, and how about a Hibiscus Blood Orange Margarita?
Here’s a question: burritos or quesadillas? I say quesadillas for myself.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Some more easy Latin-inspired dinners:
Jerk Shrimp Fajitas with Tequila Pineapple Salsa
Smoky BBQ Tofu Avocado and Cheese “Wrapadillas”
Chipotle Black Bean Jalapeno Popper Taquitos
cheesy green chile white bean rice and avocado quesdillas
Ingredients
- 1 can white beans (great northern or cannellini), drained and rinsed
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
- 1 can green chiles
- 1 green onion, diced
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 cup cooked white or brown rice
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
- 1 avocado, smashed
- 4 large flour tortillas (burrito sized)
- sour cream, cilantro, jalapenos, and lettuce, to serve
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the beans, cilantro, basil, chives, green chiles, green onion, cumin, lime juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Lay a large burrito on a flat, clean surface. On one half, spread a quarter of the mashed avocado, then top with a quarter of the rice and a quarter of the bean mixture. Sprinkle both cheeses overtop. Fold the empty half over the filled half. Repeat with three more tortillas.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium. Set 1-2 quesadillas in the pan and cook 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook 1-2 minutes longer until golden. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Divide onto plates, slice, and top with a spoonful of sour cream, chopped cilantro, jalapenos, and lettuce, as desired.
