Smashed White Bean & Spinach Quesadillas (Freezer Friendly)

Simple, flavorful, and a well-rounded meal, these smashed white bean and spinach quesadillas can work for lunch or dinner! With creamy mashed cannellini beans, cumin, ground coriander, spinach and feta cheese, they are perfectly spiced, crispy on the outside, and soft and creamy on the inside.

Quesadillas are my go-to when I need a quick and easy meal. From a basic healthy chicken quesadilla to these vegetarian sweet potato black bean quesadillas, I love how you can get creative with the fillings!

These smashed white bean and spinach quesadillas are definitely not the usual quesadilla flavor profile, but I think you're going to absolutely love them!

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped these quesadillas. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.

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Ingredient notes

• white beans- this can refer to cannellini beans, white navy beans or great northern beans, and they should be found with the rest of the beans in the canned food aisle of your grocery store. In a pinch, you could swap for chickpeas, though they won't have the same creamy and soft texture that white beans have.
• spinach- you can use fresh or frozen spinach for this recipe. If using frozen, thaw completely, and press out as much liquid as you can (using a cheese cloth, or pressing firmly against a mesh strainer). If using fresh spinach, simply mash it into the white beans, no need to cook it first.
• cheese- for this recipe, we use both feta cheese and mozzarella. The feta cheese adds a ton of flavor the the filling, while the mozzarella helps the quesadillas stick together. If you skip the feta, be sure to taste the filling and add additional salt if necessary.
• tortillas- I recommend using large (12 inch) tortillas for this recipe, because we go heavy on the filling.

Recipe tips

Mashing the white beans

To start, we mash the white beans. This alters the texture of the beans, making the quesadilla filling more creamy, and also helps the filling stick together.

To mash the white beans, use a fork or a potato masher, and apply firm pressure to the beans in a bowl, until they are broken open. You can mash until smooth, or leave them chunky.

Adding flavor

White beans are fairly neutral and bland in flavor, so we jazz things up with some ground cumin and ground coriander. For added flavor dimension, we add in some crumbled feta cheese, which brings a briney and salty flavor that goes well with the white beans and spices.

Vegetables

This recipe calls for spinach, which is milder in flavor than many leafy greens. You can swap out the spinach for of kale or even arugula, but the flavors will be more prominent than spinach, so you may want to reduce the quantity.

Other vegetables that would go well in these quesadillas? (note that these all must be sautéed before adding to the quesadilla)

• mushrooms
• bell peppers
• broccoli or cauliflower rice
• shredded brussels sprouts
• finely chopped zucchini

Cooking the quesadillas

I like to cook two quesadillas at a time, but if you are new to cooking quesadillas, start with one. Add a large tortilla to a non stick pan, and spread half a cup of the filling evenly over half of it. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of cheese, then press the other side of the tortilla over, and firmly press onto the fillings.

Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until lightly golden brown.

My favorite quesadilla trick

While I haven’t cooked them this way in the photos, I’ve started cooking all my quesadillas with a tasty trick: place a small amount of shredded mozzarella cheese in the pan before placing the tortilla in. This way, the quesadilla gets a crispy cheese crust on the outside!

This is my favorite way to take quesadillas from OK to ah-mazing! Let me know if you give this a try 🙂

Storage and reheating

Quesadillas work surprisingly well for meal prep, though they do soften as they are stored, so it's important to reheat in a frying pan rather than in the microwave.

• fridge- cool completely, then add to your favorite larger meal prep container. Place parchment paper between portions if desired. Store for up to 4 days.
• freezer- cool completely, then stack the quesadillas slices by portion. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, then place each portion into a larger freezer bag or meal prep container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• thaw- overnight in the fridge
• reheat- in a frying pan or in a sandwich press (I love my old George Foreman grill for reheating quesadillas!). Do not reheat in the microwave as they will be soggy. This is especially important if they have been frozen or are on day 3-4 of storage in the fridge.

Find my favorite meal prep containers here!

More easy vegetarian meals

• Chickpea Salad Sandwich
• Crispy Baked Falafels
• Instant Pot Lentil Soup
• Sun Dried Tomato One Pot Pasta
• Egg Fried Rice

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

White Bean & Spinach Quesadillas (Freezer Friendly)

4.95 from 19 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

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Make these smashed white bean and spinach quesadillas ahead of time and stash them in the freezer for an easy and healthy lunch that actually fills you up!

5

Ingredients

• ▢ 19 oz can of white beans see note 1; drained and rinsed
• ▢ 3 oz spinach chopped; see note 2
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¾ cup feta cheese crumbled
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups shredded mozzarella
• ▢ 5 tortillas 12 inch/large

Instructions 

• If spinach is frozen, thaw and press out extra moisture.
• In a large bowl, mash the white beans with a fork or potato masher.
  
• Stir in the spinach, cumin, coriander and salt. Stir/mash until the spinach is slightly wilted and fold in the feta cheese.
  
• Heat a large pan over medium heat. Spray with oil, then assemble quesadillas in the pan (cooking 2 at a time).
• Spoon out ½ cup of white bean/spinach filling, then sprinkle with ¼ cup cheese. Fold the tortilla over, then press down firmly.
  
• Cook for 3 or so minutes per side, until golden and crispy.

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Tips:

1- navy, cannellini or white kidney beans are all fine; in a pinch you can swap for chickpeas

2- roughly 3 cups chopped fresh spinach or 1 ½cups frozen spinach (if using frozen, thaw and press well to squeeze out liquid)

Storage/meal prep

Cool completely on a wire rack, then cut in half and wrap in plastic wrap.

• store in the fridge for up to 4 days
• store in the freezer for up to 3 months

Reheating

Quesadillas are best reheated in a frying pan or on a sandwich press until crisp and warmed through. When microwaved, they will become quite soggy.

Optional veggie add-ins

Be sure to sauté before adding in place of the kale:

• mushrooms
• bell peppers
• broccoli or cauliflower rice
• shredded brussels sprouts
• finely chopped zucchini

 

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1quesadilla, Calories: 396kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Sodium: 1030mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 2g

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: American

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