Chipotle Sweet Potato & Caramelized Onion Quesadilla with Goat Cheese on Homemade Flour Tortillas

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2012

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Well – now that I know how easy it is to make homemade tortillas – I’ve kinda gotten lazy & have been living on an all-quesadilla-all-the-time diet. Once you invest in the 5 lb bag of cheese from Smart & Final and the 10 lb bag of flour – all you really need is a bunch of creative details, other ingredients – most of which can be overlapped from one quesadilla adventure to the next.

I will post two more random choices from my quesadilla marathon: a sweet potato & onion one & a simple mozzarella & green chile version. They are both delicious! The sweet potato one is stuffed pretty thick & is rather substantial. Here is the sweet potato one but made with spinach tortillas (which were beginning to stale & get too crumbly):

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FLOUR TORTILLAS

INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1-2 tsp salt

5 TBS olive oil

1 – 1 1/2 cups water

DIRECTIONS

In your food processor, pulse the flour, baking powder & salt until blended. Add the olive oil & pulse until it is incorporated. Add water in a slow stream & pulse until it is completely incorporated and the dough has formed a tacky ball & is traveling around the bowl. You might not need all the water – you might need a bit extra. If it is too sticky – just add a bit more flour & pulse it around.

Put the dough on a lightly floured surface & roll it around to eliminate any tackiness that remains. Dived the dough into four balls & then divide each of those four balls into three more balls. Each ball should be about the size of a golf ball. Let the dough rest 10 minutes or so.

Roll out each ball as flat & thin as you can – or until they are about 8 inches across. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Do not use any oil or cooking spray. Leave the pan dry. Cook each tortilla on each side about 20 seconds or until brown spots begin to appear. Over cooking will make them crispy so err on the side of under-cooking.

Store under a clean kitchen towel as you cook all 12 tortillas.

Wrap the ones you do not use in a zip-lock bag or tightly in plastic wrap & store on your counter for up as long as they last (3 days or so) before getting stale.

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PRINT THIS QUESADILLA RECIPE

Chipotle Sweet Potato & Caramelized Onion Quesadilla with Goat Cheese on Homemade Flour Tortillas

INGREDIENTS

1 baked sweet potato (pierced with a fork & baked for 45 min at 400 degrees)

2 TBS Adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers (or to taste)

1 inch cube of goat cheese (or to taste)

1 small onion – sliced thick & sauted on olive oil til soft & browning

Grated cheese (cheddar, jack, pepper jack or mozzarella – or a blend)

sliced fresh jalapeno (optional)

1 small can green chiles (optional)

Fresh cilantro

Tortillas

DIRECTIONS

Mash the baked sweet potato into a creamy texture. Add adobo sauce to taste.

Saute your onions til they begin to caramelize. Remove from heat.

Heat a tortilla in a dry pan over med-high heat. Layer with sweet potato, goat cheese, grated cheese, sauted onions and jalapeno and/or green chiles (if using) – and maybe some chopped cilantro. Fold over & place a soup pot or other heavy, heat tolerant item on top your quesadilla. OR – you can just top the flat tortilla with a second tortilla & continue. After a minute or so, flip it, put the pan on top of it & cook until your cheese is sufficiently melty.

Cut into slices. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Serve!