Just because it’s cold out doesn’t mean the fun has to stop? I know latino style food CAN be associated with summertime- fresh limes, margaritas in the sun…ugh, now I’m just depressing myself since we have a long month ahead. But what better way to cheer me up than an unexpected savory dish! Spring is just around the corner!! I SWEAR.

I’m sure you’ve seen acorn squash all over- winter and fall in New England are great like that. I love acorn squash, it’s super easy to prepare and can be used in so many ways for any meal of the day. With the spring creeping closer and closer, I’ve still seen acorn squash around so this recipe is sure to bring the gap to brighter days!

This recipe calls for roasted poblano peppers. I did mine on the grill on a warm-ish day because I, unfortunately, do not have a gas stove- next house this is going to happen. I miss it so much. You can totally put the peppers on your stove top burner and rotate them around to char up/blister the skin. You just want them charred up so you can easily peel back the skin. Poblanos are a great little chili pepper that has a mild heat to it. If you want to keep things really mild, you can remove the seeds and ribs as best you can before grilling.

Once you combine your roasted squash, peppers and some sautéed onion into a pan you have a great filling ready to go. Of course, you add cheese, but in the future, I’ve been thinking of incorporating some black beans too. So maybe possibilities!

We chose to pair ours with our Stress-free Vegetarian Black Bean Soup on this particular occasions, so of course I was so hungry I don’t have great styled finished product :), but a little sour cream and Salsa Verde will do the trick!

Roasted Acorn Squash and Poblano Pepper Quesadillas

• 1 medium Acorn Squash
• 1 small Yellow Onion, chopped
• 3 roasted Poblano Peppers, peeled and cut into strips
• 1 clove of Garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 10″ Flour Tortillas
• 1-2 cups Shredded Cheese (I like Mexican Blend or just Colby-Jack)

First, start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Halve the squash, scoop the seeds out and cut into slices. You can save the seeds to toast if you like!

Lay them on a baking sheet, lined with tin foil and roast for 20 minutes (while they are baking I usually roast and prep my poblano peppers and chop my other ingredients). They should be soft enough to peel off the skins, but not completely cooked. Once the skin is off- chop it up lightly and set aside.

In a large skillet heat up the oil over medium-high heat. Sautée onions and garlic until onions are a bit translucent. Add poblano pepper strips and cook for a few minutes before adding the squash and cumin. Cook together for about 5-10 more minutes to be sure all the flavors have combined together and the squash is tender. Season with salt and pepper, as desired and remove from heat.

Heat up a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and place one 10-inch tortilla in it. I like to put a small pat of butter in mine and flip it once before adding the cheese and fillings. Sprinkle with cheese and squash mixture. Fold over and fry until crispy brown on both sides. Garnish with sour cream and salsa.