Peanut Butter Quesadilla

“What would a Mexican peanut butter sandwich be like?” I asked myself one day. I'm not a huge fan of Mexican food, but some of it really peaks my taste buds. So does peanut butter. Duh. I kicked my brain into gear, putting together flavors, ingredients and cooking techniques from “south of the border,” and came up with a tasty peanut butter sandwich variation.

Before you think my taste buds have gone wonky, let me assure you that the rest of my family thought it was pretty tasty, too. I even taught my middle daughter how to make them. She did quite well, thank you.


Equipment Needed
Cast iron skillet
Cutting board
Kitchen knife
Spatula
Mixing bowl

Ingredients
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup re-fried beans
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons tomato-mango salsa (any sweet tasting tomato and fruit salsa will do)
pinch of onion salt
1/2 cup grated queso blanco, or use grated cheddar
2 flour tortillas
1 tablespoons cooking oil
Extra salsa and sour cream for dipping, as desired

Directions
This recipe makes two peanut butter quesadillas.

Combine the peanut butter, re-fried beans and ground cumin in a mixing bowl. Mix until well combined. Spread the peanut butter mixture onto one side of two flour tortillas. This mixture will want to stick more to the knife than the tortilla, so you'll want to pat it down.

Spread the salsa on top of the peanut butter, about 2 tablespoons per tortilla. Sprinkle each with a pinch of onion salt. (If you want, you can use chopped green or yellow onions, here. I just didn't have any the last time I made this and the onion powder seemed to work really well.)

Divide the grated cheese between the two tortillas, sprinkling evenly, and fold each one in half, making a classic quesadilla.

Heat the oil a cast iron skillet over medium heat. You can use a regular skillet if you don't have a cast iron one. Cook the peanut butter quesadillas on each side until crispy and brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cook one at a time so you don't crowd your pan.

Remove the cooked quesadilla from the pan and let it cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Cut each one in half and serve with extra salsa and some sour cream, if desired.

I know. It sounds crazy. Maybe it is, but sometimes, crazy can be delicious.

Makes 2 servings.