Tex-Mex Veggie Quesadilla Recipe (Big Bend National Park)

Tex-Mex veggie quesadilla recipe inspired by: Big Bend National Park, Texas.

If there was ever a national park suitable for a Tex-Mex recipe, it’s got to be Big Bend National Park. Located literally on the border of Texas and Mexico, encompassing a “big bend” in the Rio Grande, this wild park is home to canyons, mountain ranges and desert landscapes.

If you’re looking for a delicious, quick and easy vegetarian dish that’s inspired by a national park, check out my Big Bend Tex-Mex veggie quesadilla recipe below!

Big Bend Tex-Mex Veggie Quesadilla Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Total time: 35 minutes
• Servings: 4
• Calories per serving: 369

Filled with sauteed bell peppers, corn, beans and onion, they feature many ingredients that are exclusively North American in origin, food that’s been eaten by Native Americans in the Big Bend National Park region for centuries.

A couple of handfuls of spicy cheese like pepper jack give these veggie quesadillas a kick and creamy texture, while a light and limey dipping sauce adds some necessary sourness. An absolutely amazing combination!

You can serve these Big Bend National Park-inspired veggie quesadillas as a fun appetizer—perfect for game nights—or serve with a healthy side salad as a main course.

This Big Bend National Park-inspired recipe for Tex-Mex veggie quesadillas contains affiliate links. You can read more about our Terms of Use / Disclosure here.

Necessary Kitchen Tools

• Large pan
• Can opener
• Large baking sheet
• Wooden spoon
• Cutting boards
• Chef’s knife
• Measuring cups

Big Bend Tex-Mex Veggie Quesadilla Ingredients

Sour Cream Lime Dipping Sauce

• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Tex-Mex Veggie Quesadillas

• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
• 3-4 flour tortillas
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Note: You can use different kinds of cheese instead of pepper jack. Sharp cheddar, Colby, Monterey jack,… they all work beautifully.

Instructions

Sour Cream Lime Dipping Sauce

1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Done!

Tex-Mex Veggie Quesadillas

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the upper third.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the large pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the bell pepper, onion, garlic, corn, black beans and chili powder. Stir regularly until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in cilantro.
5. Brush tortillas on both sides with olive oil and place them on a large baking sheet.
6. Divide the sauteed vegetables between the tortillas, keeping them on one side of each tortilla. Divide the shredded cheese over the vegetables.
7. Fold tortillas in half.
8. Bake tortillas in the upper third of the oven until the cheese is melted and tortillas are browned and a little crispy in spots.
9. Transfer to a cutting board, cut into wedges and serve with sour cream lime dipping sauce.
10. Enjoy!

Yield: 4 servings

Big Bend Tex-Mex Veggie Quesadillas Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Filled with sauteed bell peppers, corn, beans and onion, this Tex-Mex veggie quesadillas recipe features many ingredients that are exclusively North American in origin, food that’s been eaten by Native Americans in the Big Bend National Park region for centuries.

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Ingredients

Sour Cream Lime Dipping Sauce

• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Tex-Mex Veggie Quesadillas

• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
• 3-4 flour tortillas
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

Sour Cream Lime Dipping Sauce

1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Done!

Tex-Mex Veggie Quesadillas

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F with a rack in the upper third.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the large pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the bell pepper, onion, garlic, corn, black beans and chili powder. Stir regularly until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in cilantro.
5. Brush tortillas on both sides with olive oil and place them on a large baking sheet.
6. Divide the sauteed vegetables between the tortillas, keeping them on one side of each tortilla. Divide the shredded cheese over the vegetables. Fold tortillas in half.
7. Bake tortillas in the upper third of the oven until the cheese is melted and tortillas are browned and a little crispy in spots.
8. Transfer to a cutting board, cut into wedges and serve with sour cream lime dipping sauce.
9. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Yield

4
Amount Per Serving Calories 369Total Fat 17.4gSaturated Fat 7.1gCholesterol 45mgSodium 393mgCarbohydrates 39.8gFiber 5.2gSugar 10.8gProtein 15.4g

A general nutrition calculator was used to determine the nutritional information of this recipe, which is meant solely as an indication of the dish's nutritional values. Depending on specific ingredients, quantities used and/or serving size, the ultimate dish you end up making may have different nutritional aspects. Please consider the information provided here only as guidance and not as an absolute fact.

If You Decide to Make This Awesome Tex-Mex Veggie Quesadilla Recipe Inspired by Gateway Arch National Park at Home, Feel Free to Tell Everyone About It Below! Happy Cooking!

Other Vegetarian National Park Inspired Recipes

• Mushroom Mac and Cheese Recipe (Shenandoah National Park)
• Three Sisters Soup Recipe (Cuyahoga Valley National Park)
• Oven-Baked Squash Balls Recipe (Cuyahoga Valley National Park)
• St. Louis Toasted Ravioli Recipe (Gateway Arch National Park)
• Three Sisters Tortilla Pizza Recipe (Saguaro National Park)
• Three Cheese Pizza Recipe (Cuyahoga Valley National Park)
• Butternut Squash Soup With Popcorn Recipe (Mesa Verde National Park)
• Mushroom Quiche Recipe (Mount Rainier National Park)