Pork-Sweetpotato Quesadillas
Featured in WTFCF Season 1, Episode 06 & 07: Sweetpotato Is One Word. Created Exclusively for North Carolina SweetPotato Commission by El Charro Mexican Restaurant - Benson, NC.
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 medium sweetpotato, scrubbed but not peeled
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1½ teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch scallions, chopped
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
For the quesadillas:
- 4 burrito-size flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, or 1 cup each shredded cheddar and jack cheese
Optional garnish:
- sliced pickled jalapenos and sour cream
Instructions
- Pierce sweetpotato a few times with a fork and microwave until soft, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Cool slightly, remove the skin and mash the flesh with a fork. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat.
- Add to the skillet, ½ pound ground pork, 1½ teaspoons chili powder, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook pork, breaking up the meat until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Add to the ground pork, 2 cloves minced garlic, mashed sweetpotato, and 1 bunch chopped scallions. Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly.
- Add to the cooked pork, ½ cup chopped cilantro and taste, add salt if necessary. Transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 200℉.
- Wipe out the skillet, add ½ tablespoon of butter, melt over medium-high heat and swirl to coat the pan.
- Lay a tortilla in the skillet.
- Spread ¼ of the pork mixture on one half of the tortilla.
- Sprinkle ½ cup cheese over the pork.
- Fold the plain half of the tortilla over the filling and cook until the quesadilla is golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
- Transfer quesadilla to a baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm.
- Repeat process to make 3 more quesadillas.
- Cut each quesadilla into wedges. If desired, serve with pickled jalapenos and sour cream.
Enjoy!
About the Author
North Carolina is the nation's leading producer of sweetpotatoes, and not just by a little! About two-thirds of the U.S. sweetpotato crop is grown in North Carolina! Now you may notice we keep spelling "sweetpotato" as one word -- that's because that's the way it is! The scientific classification of this amazing vegetable is different enough from a white potato that the decision was made to make it a single word to avoid confusion. Which is confusing, we understand. However you spell it, sweetpotatoes are simply delicious. Amazingly, they're also one of the healthiest foods on the planet! The North Carolina SweetPotato Commission was founded 60 years ago to help NC growers find new markets for their product. back then, tobacco ruled the roost for NC farmers -- it sustained generations and built the ag industry. But obviously the world changed -- as tobacco use declined, North Carolina needed a crop that liked the same land, hopefully used the same equipment and labor force -- something that could step right in as tobacco stepped out. Hello, sweetpotatoes! The Commission works tirelessly to find new markers for growers and spread the word about the wholesome goodness of North Carolina sweetpotatoes -- including coming up with scrumptious recipes like these we're proud to feature in the Where The Food Comes From Cookbook!