Sweet Potato Quesadillas

by Jessica Cox

Heat meets sweet!  For an interesting twist – and some vitamin A – try making quesadillas with sweet potato.  Feel free to add some chicken breast or lean beef too.

Ingredients

2 small sweet potatoes
2 medium red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, cut into ½-inch strips
1 medium yellow onion, cut into ½-inch strips
½ tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp minced garlic
Cooking spray
4 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas
1 cup shredded pepper jack or cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Wash potatoes well. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake approximately 45 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven. Unwrap potatoes; removed flesh from the skins and mash the flesh. Keep warm. (You can also microwave the potatoes to reduce cooking time. Wash the potatoes, pierce with a fork five to six times and microwave on high for 5 to 7 minutes depending on the size of the potato).
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers, onion, salt, and pepper and cook 10-12 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and sauté 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.
4. Coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add 1 tortilla to skillet and sprinkle with ¼ cup cheese. Heat until cheese begins to melt. Spread approximately ¼ of mashed potatoes over ½ of tortilla; top with ¼ of pepper and onion mixture (use slotted spoon for pepper and onion mixture to drain off excess moisture). Fold over tortilla and cook approximately 1-2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove quesadilla from heat and keep warm.
5. Repeat Step 4 with additional 3 tortillas. Serve with tomato salsa and sour cream if desired.