The other day I made homemade chicken stock, and I was in search of an easy recipe for the super tender pulled chicken I had left over. I found this Rachael Ray recipe for sweet potato chicken black bean quesadillas and it was exactly what I needed. This was one of those 30-minute meals that was (gasp!) actually doable in 30 minutes. Indeed!

I love quesadillas — crunchy tortilla plus melty cheese dipped in guacamole and salsa — yum! This one has some great contrast with the mashed sweet potato (I mixed sauteed jalapeño pepper in for some heat) and black beans, and the melt-in-your-mouth-tender chicken was perfect.

TW’s Tips

• I could only find white sweet potatoes — they work just as well as the orange ones.
• If you like spice, finely chop one jalapeño and saute for a few minutes to soften. Mix with the mashed sweet potato and black beans.
• For leftovers, I put the fillings in the fridge and make them on the stove fresh instead of trying to cook them all and reheat (which never seems to work out well).
• I always have a tough time flipping a full tortilla, so i spread filling on one side of a single tortilla, throw in the pan for a minute then flip the uncovered side up to cover the filling (basically fold it in half). Then you can easily flip the half-moon over to get both sides (and it’s great if you’re just cooking for yourself since it makes less).
• Serve with salsa, guac and sour cream.
• Cut the quesadilla into slices using a pizza cutter. Easy!

Sweet Potato Chicken Black Bean Quesadillas

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 15 ounce can black beans
• 4 10-inch flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
• 2 cups shredded jack cheese

Directions
In a pot of boiling water, cook the sweet potato until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Add the beans and mash; spread onto 2 tortillas. Top each with chicken, cheese and a second tortilla; press to flatten. In a skillet, cook each quesadilla over medium-high heat until the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes; flip and cook for about 2 minutes more. Cut into wedges.