Food Recipes Dinner Vegetarian Main Course Zucchini, Corn, Black-Bean, and Jack-Cheese Quesadillas Loaded with fresh summer veggies, melty cheese, and plenty of flavor, these vegetarian quesadillas come together in minutes for an easy weeknight dinner everyone will love. By Judith Hill and Laura Byrne Russell Judith Hill and Laura Byrne Russell Judith Hill was editor in chief of Food & Wine Books, while Laura Byrne Russell was an editor and recipe developer for the imprint. Together, they co-authored the 1998 cookbook Quick from Scratch: Vegetable Main Dishes. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 7, 2019 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle Servings: 4 Jump to recipe These veggie-packed quesadillas are a celebration of late-summer produce, combining sautéed zucchini, sweet corn, and hearty black beans with plenty of melty Jack cheese for a satisfying, flavor-forward meal. Crisped to golden perfection in a skillet, they deliver the ideal balance of creamy, crunchy, and savory in every bite. The zucchini and corn add freshness and subtle sweetness, while the beans bring substance and earthiness. It’s the kind of fast, flexible recipe you can throw together on a busy weeknight, serve to a hungry crowd, or pack up for lunch the next day. Whether you slice them into wedges for a party snack or pair them with guacamole and salsa for dinner, these quesadillas are sure to earn a permanent spot in your rotation. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen The grated zucchini and defrosted frozen corn that fill these tasty quesadillas contain a lot of moisture. Drain them on paper towels for a few minutes before using; otherwise, you’ll end up with soggy tortillas. All commercially frozen vegetables have already been blanched, so you don’t need to cook them for as long as raw vegetables. In fact, some—such as corn, peas, and spinach—don’t need to be cooked anymore at all. Just defrost and heat. Suggested pairing Pull out the stops with a full-throttle red Zinfandel from Napa or Amador county. These big, powerful, full-bodied wines are loaded with enough ripe blackberry fruit and exotic spice to match the quesadillas and salsa. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly. Original recipe (1X) yields 4 servings 1 small zucchini, grated and drained on paper towels (about 1 cup) 1 cup defrosted frozen corn, drained on paper towels 1 small red onion, chopped 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, chopped 1 2/3 cups drained and rinsed canned black beans (one 15-ounce can) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper 1 teaspoon chili powder 3/4 pound Monterey jack, grated (about 1 quart) 8 large (burrito-size) flour tortillas 2 tablespoons cooking oil Directions In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, corn, onion, jalapeños, beans, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Toss gently to distribute the seasonings and then stir in the cheese. Heat the oven to 200°F. Set the tortillas on a work surface. Put about 1/3 cup of the filling on one half of each tortilla. Spread the filling to the edge and then fold the tortilla over the filling. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add two of the quesadillas to the pan and cook, turning once, until the cheese melts, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and keep warm on a baking sheet in the oven. Repeat in batches with the remaining oil and quesadillas. Cut the quesadillas in wedges and serve. This recipe was first published in Food & Wine’s 1998 cookbook, Quick from Scratch: Vegetable Main Dishes. Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.