These quesadillas pack a fresh, smooth, satisfying punch square on the tastebuds!

Meat is missing from this meal, but it lacks nothing thanks to the creaminess of the avocado, the heartiness of the black beans, the kick of the onions and peppers, and the taste-capping coolness of the queso fresco.

My wife Molly and I both grew up in homes in the American South that prized the value of meat in a meal. We still enjoy a delicious cheeseburger, helping of pork barbecue or fried chicken breast as much as any self-respecting Southerner should. But we’ve matured enough as foodies to appreciate a good meal when we taste it, even when it refrains from checking the carnivore box on our palate.

This is an incredibly easy recipe to make, and I must add that it’s also a great option for reheating as leftovers because there’s no lettuce or other topping that can’t be microwaved for round two for lunch or dinner the next day.

You can expect to get three to four servings out of these quantities. As always with our #FoodieScore recipes, you can adjust for your taste and yield preferences. Just enjoy!

What you need:

½ chopped bell pepper

1 chopped small onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup drained black beans

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

4 medium flour tortillas

2 peeled, de-cored avocados

2 tablespoons minced cilantro

1 lime

1 cup cheese

4 tablespoons butter for grilling

What you do:

1. Lightly sauté the onion and pepper in olive oil in a skillet on medium heat on your stovetop. We used a cast-iron skillet.

2. Add your black beans and preferred taco seasoning to the skillet and mix well.

3. Transfer your onions, peppers and beans to a small bowl and set aside.

4. Rinse out your skillet and wipe it down. Return it to your heat.

5. Smash your two peeled avocados in a medium bowl. Mix well with cilantro and the juice of your lime.

6. Spread a thin layer of avocado mixture across one-half of one side of each tortilla.

7. Cover the avocado with a generous spoonful of your onion, pepper and beans mixture.

8. Cover with cheese. We used a crumbly queso fresco.

9. Fold over the empty half of quesadilla to create a pocket. Repeat with the remaining tortillas until all ingredients are used.

10. We prefer to grill our quesadillas using butter in a cast-iron skillet. Use about 1 tablespoon of butter, melted evenly across the pan, for each quesadilla.

11. Flip the quesadilla once it’s brown on one side, and brown the other side.

12. Transfer each quesadilla to a plate, cut in half for easier handling, and serve with a salsa, sour cream or other preferred topping!

Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and join us on Instagram for all our #FoodieScore recipe and restaurant tips!