How do you make quesadillas flavorful and satisfying? Start with a filling that brings more than cheese alone. Corn adds sweetness, black beans add substance, and our Italian Herb parm gives the filling a savory boost that works especially well with melted cheese.
This is a good one for lunch, an easy dinner, or a cut-into-triangles snack tray when people are eating at different times. The ingredients are simple, budget-friendly, and easy to keep around, but the filling tastes like more than a plain cheese quesadilla.
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Recipe Summary
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Best For: lunch, easy dinner, snack tray, after-school meal
Ingredients
- 8 small flour tortillas
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or cheddar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Shawhan Farms Italian Herb & Garlic Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon oil or butter for the pan
Use what you have
- chopped bell pepper
- green onion
- cooked chicken
- chopped spinach
For serving
- salsa
- plain Greek yogurt
- sour cream
Instructions
1. Mix the filling
In a bowl, combine the black beans, corn, shredded cheese, and Shawhan Farms Italian Herb & Garlic Parmesan. If you are using bell pepper, green onion, chicken, or spinach, stir those in too.
2. Fill the tortillas
Spread the filling over one half of each tortilla and fold the other half over the top.
3. Cook the quesadillas
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a little oil or butter. Cook the quesadillas until golden on both sides and the cheese is melted.
4. Slice and serve
Cut into wedges and serve hot. Serve with our Shawhan Farms Hatch Chile Salsa Starter for a fresh and flavorful boost.
Why This Works
Corn and black beans give the filling more substance, and the sweetness from the corn pairs well with the savory notes in our Italian Herb parm.
Our Italian Herb parm works especially well here because it seasons the filling as the cheese melts. That gives the quesadillas flavor all the way through and brings garlic, herbs, and cheese into a quick meal without a long list of ingredients.
Kitchen Notes
Pat the beans dry a little if they seem wet so the filling does not steam too much in the pan.
A medium heat works better than high here so the tortillas brown at the same pace the filling heats through.
Kitchen Variations
- bake them on a sheet pan at 425 F, flipping once, if you want to cook several at the same time
- cook them in the air fryer until crisp and hot for a faster small-batch option
- freeze cooked quesadillas in layers with parchment between them, then reheat in a skillet, oven, or air fryer
- add chopped chicken if you want a heartier version
- serve with our Hatch Chile Salsa Starter for a different finish than standard jarred salsa
Looking for more recipe ideas? Browse our Recipe of the Week collection
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