If you love quesadillas, you're going to love this recipe. Merritt Bates-Thomas, a registered dietician with the Green River District Health Department, is sharing her recipe for Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas, an exceptionally healthy twist on a classic and beloved Latin-American dish.

Check out this beauty! And, get this! It's served with a side of Avocado Cilantro Crema, that comes with a refreshing splash of lime.

Here's how to make it!

Merritt Bates-Thomas
Merritt Bates-Thomas
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SWEET POTATO & BLACK BEAN QUESADILLAS

1 29-ounce can of yams, drained well
1 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small green pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2tsp ground cumin
1 pkg 6 whole wheat tortillas (8-inch)
2 cups 4 cheese Mexican Blend shredded cheese

AVOCADO CILANTRO CREMA

2 large avocados
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. garlic granules
Juice from one fresh lime
fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS:
Prepare crema first to allow flavors to blend.  Add avocado cut into chunks, sour cream, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro to taste in a food processor until mixture is smooth and creamy.  Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate while you prepare quesadillas.
**I can tell you. This was my favorite part of the dish. For me, the crema really brought the entire ensemble together and was the perfect compliment to the surprising sweetness of the quesadilla.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl add sweet potatoes and gently mash using a potato masher.  Add black beans and mash gently into sweet potatoes.  Saute onion, green pepper, smoked paprika, and cumin in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.  Add to sweet potato and black bean mixture and stir together until all ingredients are well mixed.
Place tortilla in a skillet over medium heat,  Sprinkle 1/3 cup of cheese on half of a tortilla and sweet potato and bean mixture over the other half.  Fold in half with cheese side down,  With a spatula, flip to the other side after 2 to 3 minutes and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Remove to a serving plate and repeat for additional quesadillas.  Quesadillas may be served whole or cut into wedges.
Merritt's recipe makes  a total of six quesadillas- enough to feed the family or friends at a dinner party.  I sampled the quesadilla when Merritt brought it in for our What's Cookin'? segment, then took the remaining wedges home for lunch. It was refreshing, light and delicious.
Fernando Andrade/Unsplash
Fernando Andrade/Unsplash
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