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 to 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 actually a Paleo Wrap. It's a wrap made out of 100% coconut meat. They're very convenient for when I want to make sandwich/wraps instead of a salad. They have a sweet nutty flavor that doesn't quite resemble a traditional tortilla wrap, but the wrap gets the job done. It holds everything in and adds a nice flavor. You can buy Paleo Wraps either online or get them at your local co-op like I do. But you can also use any other type of wrap that you would like!
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.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves 2
The ingredients:
The creation:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. On medium heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes, until the onion softens.
2. Combine the squash, onion, chili powder, and ground sunflower seeds. Cut wrap into four pieces. Spread mixture evenly over two of the four pieces.
3. 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 1 minute, sprinkling salt over the kale and mixing.
4. Place the cooked kale over the squash, then break up bacon and place on top of the kale. Cover the wraps with the remaining two pieces and place in the oven on a cookie sheet. Cook for 4 minutes until the tops of the wrap start to brown.
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves 2
The ingredients:
- 1 cup mashed butternut squash
- 1/2 cup white onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground sunflower seeds
- 2 slices bacon
- 3 stalks of chopped dinosaur kale
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Paleo Wrap or tortilla of choice
The creation:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. On medium heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes, until the onion softens.
2. Combine the squash, onion, chili powder, and ground sunflower seeds. Cut wrap into four pieces. Spread mixture evenly over two of the four pieces.
3. 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 1 minute, sprinkling salt over the kale and mixing.
4. Place the cooked kale over the squash, then break up bacon and place on top of the kale. Cover the wraps with the remaining two pieces and place in the oven on a cookie sheet. Cook for 4 minutes until the tops of the wrap start to brown.