Quesadillas with a kick. The butternut squash filling is spicy, nutty, and comforting, that is perfectly complimented by savory bacon and crunchy kale. They’re held together by Siete’s tortillas, making for a healthy and delicious meal.
Growing up, I remember looking the other way when my mom would serve the butternut squash at holiday meals. For some reason, I really just didn’t like it. The texture didn’t sit well with me, it seemed too mushy. However, reflecting on this now, it seems so strange that I could ever dislike butternut squash because it is one of my favorite foods. It’s a comfort to me, like mac and cheese is a comfort to people. There’s something very filling and satisfying about it that makes my tummy very happy- I always feel great after eating it.
So it’s no wonder that I am always looking for an opportunity to cook with it. These quesadilla’s may be one of my new favorite go-to meals. And they’re really pretty simple to make. Once you have the butternut squash baked and mashed up, it goes by very fast. Sometimes I like to bake a really big butternut squash, scrape it out, mash it up and store it in the refrigerator so I can easily add it to different recipes.
Part of what makes this recipe easy is that I used the leftover bacon grease to cook the kale, adding lots of flavor. I also should note that the tortilla I use for this recipe is Paleo friendly. Siete make a wonderful line of tortillas made out of nut and cassava flours, that have a great consistency and flavor, and actually hold up like regular tortillas. You can find these at Whole Foods or other health foods stores. They are a little expensive, but the convenience factor is worth it for me. I like to freeze at least half of them so I don’t feel pressure to eat them all up in one week. Then when I want one, I simply pull one out of the freezer the night before and let it unthaw in the refrigerator. The tortilla’s are great for on the go wraps, but also would be fun for a sweeter treat!
This is definitely not your traditional quesadilla- but it’s my healthy Paleo spin on a quesadilla. I know it doesn’t have the cheese that a classic quesadilla has, but I think the creamy/nutty flavor of the squash makes up for that. Also, the crunchy kale and bacon add a nice bit of texture.
Butternut Squash, Bacon, & Kale Quesadillas
Quesadilla's with a kick. The butternut squash filling is spicy, nutty, and comforting, that is perfectly complimented by savory bacon and crunchy kale. They're held together by Siete's tortillas, making for a healthy and delicious meal.
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash
- 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 4 slices bacon
- 6 stalks kale (I prefer dinosaur kale)
- 4 paleo tortilla's (I prefer siete)
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 375 F. Cut the small butternut squash in half lengthwise. Place facedown on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes.
-
Meanwhile, on medium heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes, until the onion softens.
-
In a small coffee grinder or food processor, blend the sunflower seeds until they obtain a powder consistency.
-
Remove the squash from the oven and remove the insides using a spoon. Measure 1 cup of the squash, and place in a large bowl (save remaining squash for another use, or double the recipe).
-
Add the cooked onion, chili powder, salt and ground sunflower seeds to the bowl with the mashed squash and mix well.
-
Sauté bacon over medium heat cooking 2-3 minutes per side, depending on how crispy you like your bacon. Remove bacon, leaving the remaining oil, and add in the chopped kale. Cook kale for 2-3 minute, sprinkling salt over the kale and mixing.
-
Heat up the Siete tortilla's in a skillet over medium heat, for approx. 1 minute on each side.
-
Next, spread out the butternut squash mix evenly over the entire surface of the tortilla.
-
Sprinkle the kale over the top, and add the bacon, cutting in half so there are four 1/2 pieces of bacon evenly spread over the tortilla.
-
Cover the tortilla and cut into 4's. Bon appétit!
Products to help make the magic happen:
