Treat your family to these quick-to-make quesadillas packed with heart-healthy chipotle-flavored pumpkin, beans and corn. Made from smoked and dried jalapeño peppers, chipotle powder’s smoky flavor complements the subtle sweetness of canned pumpkin, making it the perfect savory pumpkin spice. The powder does pack some heat, so use your best judgment when deciding how much to add.

For an extra thrill, decorate the quesadillas with Greek yogurt spiderwebs and black olive spiders. No need for a fancy piping bag. Use a squeeze bottle, an old (clean) condiment bottle, or simply fill a zip-top bag and snip the corner to create your own piping bag. Your family will love them even if they aren’t Pinterest-perfect. To oven-bake the quesadillas, follow the directions found here.

Tip: Save leftover pumpkin purée to add to oatmeal; smoothies; or batter for waffles, muffins or pancakes.

Ingredients

1 cup canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling
¼-½ teaspoon chipotle powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese, reduced-fat, about 1 cup
1 15 oz can of black beans, no salt added, rinsed and drained
½ cup corn – frozen or canned, defrost or drain before using
2 tablespoons red onion, minced
4 whole wheat tortillas

Optional: plain non-fat Greek yogurt and black olives for decorating; additional Greek yogurt or guacamole for serving.

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, mix together pumpkin purée, chipotle, garlic and cumin powders; set aside.

  1. In a medium bowl, mix together shredded cheddar, black beans, corn and minced red onion; set aside.

  1. Coat a large sauté pan with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil and preheat over medium. As the pan is heating, spread 2 tortillas with ¼ cup pumpkin mix. Top half of each tortilla with ¼ of the bean mixture, approximately 1 heaping ½ cup.

  1. Fold tortillas in half and add to the hot pan. Cook for approximately 4 minutes per side or until golden brown and heated through. Be sure to check the tortillas as they cook and adjust the heat as necessary to avoid burning the quesadillas. Place cooked quesadillas on a rack (so they do not become soggy) and repeat the process with the remaining two tortillas. Serve immediately or follow the directions below to decorate.

  1. If planning to decorate with a Greek yogurt spiderweb, allow the quesadillas to cool slightly. If they are too hot, the yogurt will become runny. Add yogurt to the piping vessel and pipe the top of each quesadilla with a simple cobweb design. Cut two black olives in half lengthwise to make four spider bodies. Cut two more olives in half crosswise to make four heads. Cut additional olives in half lengthwise and then cut halves crosswise to make eight legs for each spider.

Serves 4.

Nutrition

Calories 322 Total Fat 8 g
Saturated Fat 3 g Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 20 mg Sodium 577 mg
Potassium 681 mg Total Carbohydrate 52 g
Dietary Fiber 13 g Sugars 6 g
Protein 18 g
See more of the fresh, fun, and healthy recipes on our Wellness blog.
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