These Poblano and Black Bean Quesadillas are SO good if you're looking for a veggie quesadilla, and even if you're not. Delicious sautéed poblano peppers, black beans, and onions, stuffed between melty jack cheese in a crispy tortilla.

KEY INGREDIENTS:

• Poblano peppers: The main ingredient in these quesadillas! I wouldn't swap for a different pepper, poblanos are definitely key.
• Onion: Sautéed with the poblano peppers for delicious added flavor.
• Black beans: Gotta get some protein in there!
• Tortillas: Taco-sized tortillas are my favorite, and what the quantities of this recipe is based on. but you could easily use any other size tortilla, just note the end number of quesadillas will vary.
• Cumin: I love the flavor of cumin in veggie quesadillas - adds so much!
• Monterey jack cheese: A perfect melty cheese for these quesadillas. Freshly grated is best because it'll melt better with less/no preservatives.

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT:

• Coarse cheese grater
• Large skillet
• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Spatula

HOW TO MAKE THESE POBLANO AND BLACK BEAN QUESADILLAS:

1. Step 1: Sauté the veggies. In your skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat. Add the peppers, onion, cumin, salt, and pepper. Sauté about 10 minutes until softened but still with some structure. Add in the black beans and stir to combine. Remove the mixture from the skillet and set aside.
2. Step 2: Assemble & finish. To the same skillet on medium heat, lay down one tortilla. Sprinkle with ¼ of the cheese and ¼ of the pepper mixture. Let that sit about 2 minutes until the cheese begins to melt. Then fold in half and press down slightly to meld the two halves together. Cook for another 2 minutes and flip to the other side, cooking 2 minutes more, until both sides are golden brown.

And that's it! If you'd like, serve with an avocado dipping sauce:

• In a food processor, combine 1 avocado, ½ cup cilantro, 2 tablespoon sour cream, juice of 1 lime, 2 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pulse until smooth.

CAN YOU COOK THESE POBLANO QUESADILLAS IN THE OVEN?

Yes, sure! Here's how:

1. On a large sheet pan, lay out the poblano peppers and onions. Drizzle with olive oil and the cumin, salt, and pepper. Roast at 400℉ for about 20-30 minutes until well softened. Mix in the black beans. Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.
2. On the same sheet pan, lay down your four tortillas, sprinkle each with ¼ of the cheese and ¼ of the pepper mixture. Fold them over and place another sheet pan of the same size (or two if smaller) on top to weigh them down and keep the tortillas closed.
3. Bake at 400℉ until the cheese is melted and they're a little crispy - about 10-15 minutes.

MORE MEXICAN-INSPIRED RECIPES:

• Mexican Street Corn and Black Bean Tacos
• Cheesy Veggie Quesadilla
• Fish Tacos with Jalapeño Mango Salsa

📖 Recipe

Poblano Black Bean Quesadilla

These Poblano Black Bean Quesadillas are SO good if you're looking for a veggie quesadilla, and even if you're not. Delicious sautéed poblano peppers, black beans, and onions, stuffed between melty jack cheese in a crispy tortilla.

4.50 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 quesadillas

Ingredients

• 4 taco-sized flour tortillas
• 2 cups monterey jack cheese freshly grated preferable
• 1 large onion sliced ½"
• 2 large poblano peppers sliced ¼"
• 1 14oz can black beans drained and rinsed
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Avocado dipping sauce:

• 1 avocado
• ½ cup cilantro
• 2 tablespoon sour cream
• 2 teaspoon lime juice (about 1 lime)
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• Heat your skillet and 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat.
• Add the peppers, onion, cumin, salt, and pepper. Sauté about 10 minutes until softened but still with some structure.
• Add in the black beans and stir to combine. Remove the mixture from the skillet and set aside.
• To the same skillet still on medium heat, lay down one tortilla. Sprinkle with ¼ of the cheese and ¼ of the pepper mixture. Let that sit about 2 minutes until the cheese begins to melt. Then fold in half and press down slightly to meld the two halves together. Cook for another 2 minutes and flip to the other side, cooking 2 minutes more, until both sides are golden brown.
• Repeat for all four tortillas.
• Avocado dipping sauce: In a food processor, combine 1 avocado, ½ cup cilantro, 2 tablespoon sour cream, juice of 1 lime, 2 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pulse until smooth.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1394mg | Potassium: 516mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 906IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 486mg | Iron: 2mg

Course: Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Quesadilla

Author: Haley

This Instant Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken recipe could not be easier or more delicious. Simply combine your favorite BBQ sauce with a few more ingredients for added flavor, and you get delicious, juicy chicken in under 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED FOR THIS DISH:

• Chicken breasts: These are of course the core item, so try to buy good quality chicken breast!
• Chicken stock: You need a decent amount of liquid in the Instant Pot so that it doesn't burn as it's cooking, that's where the chicken stock comes in. You could also use vegetable stock.
• BBQ sauce: This is eaters choice - choose your favorite BBQ sauce to use in the dish! I used Stubbs Original, which is delicious.
• Garlic: Grated garlic for extra flavor.
• Red onion: Grated red onion also for tons of flavor.
• Worcestershire sauce: Loaded with flavor - don't skip it!!

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT YOU'LL NEED:

• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring cups
• Fine and coarse grater
• Spoon
• Forks to shred the chicken

HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT PULLED BBQ CHICKEN:

Cooking in the Instant Pot is my absolute favorite because it's so easy and so hands-off. And cooking chicken in the instant pot is even better because the chicken always comes out so juicy and flavorful. This Instant Pot BBQ chicken is no different. Here's how to make it:

1. Step 1: Add everything to the Instant Pot. Using your fine grater for the garlic and coarse for the onion, grate both directly into the instant pot. Then add the chicken stock, BBQ sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine, then carefully lay in the chicken breasts.
2. Step 2: Cook. Secure the Instant Pot lid and ensure the vent is set to sealed. Set it to pressure cook high for 10 minutes, then allow it to natural release for 10 minutes (which basically means don't touch it/don't release the pressure for 10 minutes). Once the 10 minutes is up, manually release the rest of the pressure. It's safe to open when the metal pin on the lid drops and no more steam comes out.
3. Step 3: Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a plate or cutting board. Using your two forks, shred the chicken. Then add it back into the sauce.
4. Step 4: Thicken the sauce. Once you've shredded the chicken and added it back into the pot with the sauce, set your Instant Pot to sauté for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

I recommend serving as a bbq pulled chicken sandwich with coleslaw (coleslaw recipe in the recipe card)!

HOW TO STORE BBQ PULLED CHICKEN:

This dish will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days, stored in an air tight container. Simply reheat in the microwave until warm.

MORE CHICKEN RECIPES:

• Chicken Pot Pie
• Apple Cider Braised Chicken Thighs
• Broken Lasagna with Ground Chicken

📖 Recipe

Instant Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken

This Instant Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken recipe could not be easier or more flavorful. You simply put all the ingredients in the instant pot, and it's ready shortly after without you needing to do a thing.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1.5 - 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 3 garlic cloves grated
• 1 small red onion grated (about ½ cup)
• 2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 6 seeded burger buns (optional)

For the coleslaw:

• 1 bag coleslaw mix
• ½ cup mayo
• 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• Get your instant pot set up and ready. Using your fine grater for the garlic and coarse for the onion, grate both directly into the instant pot. Then add the chicken stock, BBQ sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine, then carefully lay in the chicken breasts.
• Secure the Instant Pot lid and ensure the vent is set to sealed. Set it to pressure cook high for 10 minutes, then allow it to natural release for 10 minutes (which basically means don't touch it/don't release the pressure for 10 minutes). Once the 10 minutes is up, manually release the rest of the pressure. It's safe to open when the metal pin on the lid drops and no more steam comes out.
• Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a plate or cutting board. Using your two forks, shred the chicken. Then add it back into the sauce. 
• Once you've shredded the chicken and added it back into the pot with the sauce, set your Instant Pot to sauté for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
• Serve as desired - on a sandwich with coleslaw is recommended!

To make the coleslaw:

• In a large bowl combine the mayo, mustard, apple cider vinegar, slat, and pepper.
• Then add the coleslaw mix to the bowl, tossing to coat. 
• You can serve it immediately, but it's better when it sits for at least 30 minutes. 

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 657kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 62g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 178mg | Sodium: 1709mg | Potassium: 1246mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 205IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 3mg

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Instant Pot

Author: Haley

This creamy roasted red pepper pasta is such a delicious, easy homemade pasta dish that has SO much flavor. With roasted garlic and onions in addition to the pepper, you get a ton of flavor with only a few ingredients. Plus it's pretty hands-off which makes it an ideal weeknight pasta dish.

KEY INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED FOR THIS DISH:

• Pasta: The pasta shape you use is really up to you - pick your fave!
• Red bell peppers: Of course the main ingredient. I like to take out the stem and core, then slice in half prior to baking.
• Yellow onion: Gets roasted with the pepper and brings delicious flavor to the sauce.
• Garlic: Is there really anything like roasted garlic?? No. The answer is no.
• White wine: This gets poured in with the peppers, onion, and garlic when they're roasted adding a ton of flavor to the base.
• Heavy cream: To of course make the sauce creamy.
• Vegetable stock: To thin out the sauce and make it saucy.
• Parmesan: Optional - for serving.
• Fresh basil: Also optional - for serving.

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT YOU'LL NEED:

• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Baking dish
• Blender
• Pot
• Measuring cups/spoons
• Aluminum foil

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY ROASTED RED PEPPER PASTA:

As I mentioned this pasta dish is incredibly easy to make with not too many ingredients that each bring so much flavor.

1. Step 1: Roast. In your baking dish, lay your halved red peppers, onions, and garlic. Drizzle with the olive oil and white wine. Bake at 450℉ for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully cover with aluminum foil to steam for 10 minutes.
2. Step 2: Boil & cook pasta. Start bringing your water to a boil while the peppers steam. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and return back to the pot.
3. Step 2: Remove the pepper skins. After the peppers steam for 10 minutes, peel off as much of the skin as you can. It doesn't need to be perfect or all of it – don't stress it too much.
4. Step 3: Blend. To a high-powered blender, add the peppers, onion, garlic, any juices in the baking dish, heavy cream, veg stock, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
5. Step 4: Finish. Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix together. Serve with parmesan and fresh basil.

CAN I USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF PEPPER?

I would recommend using only bell peppers for this recipe.

Red bell peppers are ideal, but I could see yellow or orange working well, too. The flavor of the sauce will just be a bit more mild. You could also do a mix.

HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT THIS PASTA DISH:

Store the pasta dish in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes (depending on the power of your microwave) until warmed through.

CAN I ADD MEAT TO THIS ROASTED RED PEPPER PASTA?

Yes! You totally can. A few ways to do so:

• Slice up grilled chicken and serve on top/mixed in.
• Chicken cutlets served on top would be delicious.
• Ground chicken/turkey/beef would be great. Sauté It and then mix it with the finished sauce and pasta.

MORE CREAMY PASTA RECIPES:

• Perfect Creamy Tomato Sauce
• Roasted Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
• Creamy Roasted Garlic Gnocchi with Bacon
• Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce with Sage Breadcrumbs

📖 Recipe

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

This creamy roasted red pepper pasta is such a delicious, easy homemade pasta dish that has SO much flavor. With roasted garlic and onions in addition to the pepper, you get a ton of flavor with only a few ingredients. Plus it's pretty hands-off which makes it a ideal weeknight pasta dish.

4.61 from 23 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta
• 2 red bell peppers halved (stems and seeds removed)
• ½ large yellow onion cut in two pieces (or 1 small onion halved)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup vegetable stock
• Parmesan cheese + fresh basil for serving optional

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 450℉.
• In your baking dish, lay your halved red peppers, onions, and garlic. Drizzle with the olive oil and white wine. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully cover with aluminum foil to steam for 10 minutes.
• Start bringing your water to a boil while the peppers steam. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and return back to the pot.
• After the peppers steam for 10 minutes, peel off as much of the skin as you can.
• To a high-powered blender, add the peppers, onion, garlic, any juices in the baking dish, heavy cream, veg stock, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
• Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix together.
• Serve with parmesan and fresh basil. 

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 733mg | Potassium: 577mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3073IU | Vitamin C: 86mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Pasta

Author: Haley

Caramelized Onion and Bacon Pizza is not your average pizza. It has layers of sweet caramelized onions and gruyere cheese topped with tender potatoes and crispy bacon. A delicious way to mix up pizza night and serve something you'll be craving time and time again.

INGREDIENTS:

• Pizza dough: Regular crust (vs. thin crust or Sicilian-style or pan crust) is best here but aside from that use whatever pizza dough is your favorite. I use a no-knead dough recipe from Half Baked Harvest Super Simple. You can also buy from your local pizzeria or grocery store.
• Onions: Three onions seems like a lot, but in the caramelizing process they cook down rather substantially.
• Garlic: I love adding garlic to caramelized onions. If you don't have garlic you can use garlic powder.
• Gruyere cheese: Gruyere and caramelized onions are a classic combo. You can use mozzarella if you can't find gruyere. Grated fresh off the block is ideal.
• Bacon: The caramelized onions get cooked in the bacon fat and the crispy bacon gets sprinkled over the finished pizza. It's so good.
• Baby potatoes: Yukon gold baby potatoes get sliced so thinly on a mandoline and layered on the pizza for added texture.
• Fresh thyme: Thyme gets added into the onions while they caramelize and melds with it so deliciously.

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU'LL NEED:

• Chef's knife
• Cutting board
• Large heavy-bottomed sauté pan
• Coarse grater
• Full-size sheet pan (26" x 18")
• Mandoline with ⅛" attachment

HOW TO MAKE CARAMELIZED ONION AND BACON PIZZA:

1. Step 1: Prep. Bring the pizza dough to room temp, slice the onions, grate the cheese, cut the bacon, and slice the potatoes.
2. Step 2: Cook the bacon. Add the bacon to your pan and cook over medium-high heat until crispy. About 10-15 minutes. Leave the bacon fat in the pan.
3. Step 3: Caramelize the onions. In the same pan that you cooked the bacon, reduce heat to medium-low and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Once the butter is melted, add in the sliced onions and stir to combine. Cook stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, then sprinkle in the salt. Cook for another 15 minutes and add in the sprigs of thyme. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Add in about 1 tablespoon water at a time if it starts to look dry. Then add in the garlic and cook for 5 more minutes.
4. Step 4: Assemble the pizza. Drizzle a light layer of olive oil on your baking sheet. Using your fingers or a rolling pin, stretch out the pizza dough just about to the edges. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Layer half the onions down first, followed by half the cheese. Then layer on the rest of the onions followed by the rest of the cheese. Top with the potatoes and drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake at 425℉ for 15 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
5. Step 5: Finish the pizza. When the pizza is done in the oven, finish by sprinkling with fresh thyme and the cooked crispy bacon.

WHAT ARE CARAMELIZED ONIONS?

Caramelizing onions is a process of cooking onions on a low heat for a long period of time. By cooking them this way, they become deeply golden brown, jammy, and addictingly sweet. The process overall takes about an hour, but is so worth it. You can use caramelized onions on grilled cheese sandwiches, soups, dips, and more.

HOW TO STORE COOKED PIZZA:

To store pizza, slice it into individual servings, wrap tightly in aluminum foil, and store in an air-tight container or bag in the fridge. It can stay in the fridge for up to 1 week.

You can also freeze pizza - follow the same directions as above and it will keep in the freezer for up to two months.

HOW TO REHEAT COOKED PIZZA:

Reheating pizza properly is key. The best method for doing so is using the oven. If it was in the fridge, preheat the oven to 350℉. and bake on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes. If it was in the frozen, preheat the oven to 374℉. and bake on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes.

MORE CHEESY PIZZA RECIPES:

• Cheesy Pan Pizza with Spicy Hot Honey
• Springy Herbed Ricotta Pizza
• Pizza with Onions, Garlic, and Pepperoncini

📖 Recipe

Caramelized Onion and Bacon Pizza

Caramelized Onion and Bacon Pizza is not your average pizza. It has layers of sweet caramelized onions and gruyere cheese topped with tender potatoes and crispy bacon. A delicious way to mix up pizza night and serve something you'll be craving time and time again.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb pizza dough
• 4 slices uncooked bacon cut into 1" pieces
• 3 yellow onions sliced ½" thin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 cloves garlic sliced
• ½ lb gruyere cheese grated
• ¼ lb yukon gold baby potatoes
• 1-2 tablespoon olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

• Cook the bacon. Add the bacon to your pan and cook over medium-high heat until crispy. About 10-15 minutes. Leave the bacon fat in the pan.
• Caramelize the onions.
• In the same pan that you cooked the bacon, reduce heat to medium-low and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Once the butter is melted, add in the sliced onions and stir to combine.
• Cook stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, then sprinkle in the salt.
• Cook for another 15 minutes then add in the sprigs of thyme.
• Continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Add in about 1 tablespoon water at a time if it starts to look dry.
• Then add in the garlic and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Assemble the pizza. Drizzle a light layer of olive oil on your baking sheet. Using your fingers or a rolling pin, stretch out the pizza dough just about to the edges. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Layer half the onions down first, followed by half the cheese. Then layer on the rest of the onions followed by the rest of the cheese. Top with the potatoes and drizzle with a little olive oil.
• Bake at 425℉ for 15 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
• When the pizza is done in the oven, finish by sprinkling with fresh thyme and the cooked crispy bacon.

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 751kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 1743mg | Potassium: 347mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 695IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 607mg | Iron: 4mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pizza

Author: Haley