Pork-Sweetpotato Quesadillas
Created Exclusively for NC 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 use
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch scallions, chopped
- 1/2 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, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Pierce the 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
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork, chile powder and kosher salt. Cook pork, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Add garlic, sweetpotato and scallions to the pan with the ground pork and cook, stirring, 2 more minutes, add the cilantro; taste and add salt if necessary.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Wipe out the skillet.
- Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter to to the skillet, melt over medium-high heat and swirl to coat the pan.
- Lay a tortilla in the skillet.
- Spread one-quarter of the pork mixture on one half of the tortilla.
- Sprinkle 1/2 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 the oven to keep warm.
- Repeat procedure to make 3 more quesadillas.
- Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve with pickled jalapenos and sour cream, if desired.
Serves: 4