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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Cheese-Crisped Pinto Bean Quesadillas

4 Servings

40 minutes

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These ooey-gooey quesadillas boast double the cheese—some is tucked inside the folded tortillas and the rest is sprinkled on the outside. As they toast in the oven, the outer layer of cheese melts and becomes deliciously crisp. Bonus: We cook quesadillas on a baking sheet to make a big batch all at once—no need to stand at the stove cooking quesadillas one by one. To make these vegetarian quesadillas heartier, we include pinto beans (or black beans), which are microwaved with chili powder to infuse them with spice; canned red or green chilies bump up the heat, while lime juice brings an acidic note.

4

Servings

40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3

    tablespoons neutral oil

  • 2

    15½-ounce cans pinto beans OR black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions

Reviews
RITA B.
September 6, 2026
Delicious!
I've made these several times and my family really likes them. They're a great lunch and they reheat nicely. Delicious!
Sara G.
August 10, 2026
Easily the best quesadillas I've ever had (and not just 'cuz you don't have to stand over the frypan)
Made these to go with a roasted chicken. Could have used a salad or slaw with it, but we had none on hand and it was a fine dinner without. Quick and easy. VERY good. Hubs said 5 stars, and he is extremely stingy with his 5 stars. I made flat (full moon) rather that folded (half-moon) quesadillas; I thought that might be easier to eat with the chicken on top like a tostada. I think it would work either way. I fit 6 quesadillas (12 corn tortillas) on the tray. I used parchment paper instead of greasing the tray. I used cooked-from-dry beans (red beans - Rojo de Suelo), so weighed out 30oz of beans. This gave me too much filling (I just eyeballed it and saved the leftovers for something else). I was worried the beans were too soupy (I spooned them out with a strainer-spoon, but didn't want to rinse off the nice broth), and also they didn't mash well; but it was all fine. Using two chipotle chiles wasn't too spicy, but was juuust sneaking up on too spicy. I think going down to 1 chipotle would be fine, too. I have a hunch that the chipotle is what makes them taste so special, and using green chile instead would not be as interesting. I mixed half cheddar and half mozzarella cheese (measured by weight). I did add a small sprinkle of cheese to the second side like the one review said, haha. These would be great for a party. Would want to practice first to see if cooking two pans at once affected how crispy they got.
Danielle C.
January 16, 2025
Easy Cheesy
Used parchment paper and lightly brushed the tortillas with olive oil, also added cheese to both sides because why not! So simple, so good.
Katherine K.
September 19, 2023
Super yummy and easy!
My only change would be to line the baking sheet with foil or silicone baking mat for easier clean up. These were perfect for a quick meatless Monday. Used pinto beans which I think mash better than kidney beans.

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