This is like, “the week of quesadillas” at my house. LOL. When the concept for these super easy creamy quesadillas first came into my head I couldn’t decide whether to make them with chicken or do a vegetarian version, so I just made both! While I love both versions of this quesadilla, the incredible ease and low cost of these Creamy White Bean and Spinach Quesadillas might make them the winner. They literally only take about 20 minutes and are so freaking good.
If you want the chicken version, head over to the post for Creamy Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas.
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What to Serve with Spinach and White Bean Quesadillas
Because the filling for these quesadillas is so rich and creamy, they really benefit from being served with a nice tangy salsa or pico de gallo. The salsa I used is a smoky chipotle red salsa, which paired so well with the flavors of the quesadillas. Normally quesadillas would be served with some sour cream or guacamole dolloped on top, but there is so much creaminess already that I think that would be overkill.
What type of white beans should I use?
I definitely suggest using cannellini beans for this recipe because of their large size, firm texture, and ability to hold their shape. Other white beans, like navy beans, tend to break down and are better suited for use in soups, stews, or recipes where they’ll be mashed. If you want to read more about the common types of white beans and how they’re best used, check out this helpful guide from Camellia Beans.
Creamy White Bean and Spinach Quesadillas
Servings 4 quesadillasIngredients
- 1 15oz. can cannellini beans ($0.69)
- 3/4 tsp chili powder ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin ($0.03)
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 2 cups fresh spinach ($0.87)
- 4 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded ($1.00)
- 1/2 cup sour cream ($0.35)
- 4 8-inch flour tortillas ($0.96)
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the cannellini beans well. Once well drained, transfer them to a bowl and add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt. Stir to combine the beans with the spices.
- Roughly chop the spinach into smaller pieces. Add the spinach, cheese, and sour cream to the bowl with the beans, then stir to combine.
- Divide the spinach and bean mixture between the four tortillas, then fold them in half to close.
- Cook the quesadillas, one or two at a time, in a skillet* over medium heat until the tortillas are brown and crispy and the filling is melted and gooey (3-5 minutes each side).
- Cut the quesadillas in half, then serve.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Spinach and White Bean Quesadillas – Step by Step Photos
Begin by rinsing and draining a 15oz. can of cannellini beans. Make sure they’re drained well, then place them in a bowl with 3/4 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, and 1/8 tsp salt. Stir to coat the beans in the spices.
Roughly chop about 2 cups of spinach into smaller pieces.
Combine the seasoned beans and chopped spinach in a bowl with 4 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese and 1/2 cup sour cream. Stir to combine these ingredients.
Divide the spinach and bean mixture between the four tortillas, covering half of the tortilla, then fold them in half to close.
Cook the quesadillas, one or two at a time, in a skillet over medium heat until the tortillas are brown and crispy, and the filling is melted. I don’t add oil to my skillet, but you can if you prefer a more fried-like texture to the tortillas. (The residue you see in the skillet is splatter from juices coming out of the quesadilla.)
Slice the cooked quesadillas in half and serve!
As mentioned above, I LOVE these Creamy White Bean and Spinach Quesadillas served with a nice tangy salsa!
making these today ,using my barese chard and beans bin soaking and cooked yeserday ,, great Idea for the filling who what thought ?? would be a great filling for a Gozlemei. a Turkish flat bread !!!!!
What would you recommend to substitute for sour cream?
I’m not sure I would recommend a substitute for the sour cream in this, but I suppose it depends on the reason for substituting. Is it just because you don’t like sour cream, are you looking for a non-dairy option, or is there another reason?
Greek yogurt!!! It’s an amazing substitute.
Made this but did one thing different. I saw it on the “The Kitchen” a used Mayo instead of oil. I buttered (lighlty) the tortilla with Mayo and put that side on the skillet. DELICIOUS.
Delicious and really easy to make! I used fresh-made tortillas from the grocery store with these.
Delicious! Saved to my desktop. I adored it!
These are so good and easy that I could cry. That’s all I came to say!
Oh, one more thing. I made a creamy salsa verde by just blending a little can of mild store-bought salsa verde with some avocado and cilantro. The flavors complimented the dish perfectly and balanced out the spice a bit.
This may be the easiest dinner I’ve ever made, which would be great on it’s own but it’s also freaking delicious. My husband and I were making audible yummy noises. I know that’s weird, but it’s also very real. Make this recipe. Just do it. And if you’re like me and enjoy life on the edge, throw some cayenne on those beans. Also double the spices.
These are so good and easy. I’ve made them several times now.
These are delicious! I ate mine with some Tabasco Chipotle hot sauce and it went very well with them
Do you think the filling will hold up ok in the fridge? I’m cooking for one and am considering making one quesadilla at a time for the next couple days…
Yes, the filling holds up, just don’t pre-fill the tortilla or they will get soggy. :)
FWIW- I doubled the seasoning
So fantastic. Boyfriend and I are meat-eaters but I challenged him to pick something vegetarian for us to make and he chose these. First, these make four FAT quesadillas, so you could certainly stretch it to five, especially if serving as a snack or with a side. Second, I added a lot more spices the second time I made these (close to double what’s originally called for) and I think it balances out the super creamy flavor more and goes well with the pepper jack. I am not a spinach lover and I was skeptical but they are a total gem. Try it!
Do you think these would freeze well?
I haven’t tried this one, but I’m going to guess not because sour cream usually doesn’t hold up so well to freezing.
I was worried these would be too spicy as I tasted some of the mixture before cooking and the heat didn’t slowly kick in, it broke down the door and took me hostage but after cooking the quesadillas turned out creamy and heavenly cheesy with the perfect amount of spice. The filling was falling out a bit in the pan but who cares when the recipe is this easy, cheap, and CHEESY.
This shit is divine.