Huitlacoche Quesadillas

COOKING
by Suellen Pineda, RDN, CDN

Don’t be intimidated by the appearance of Huitlacoche! Also known as corn mushroom, corn smut or Mexican truffle, huitlacoche is a fungus that grows on corn. At first sight, it may not look appealing to eat even for an adventurous foodie, however, it is worthy to try its earthy flavor and mushroom-like texture.

Use it in quesadillas, tostadas, crostini, omelets and very much like you would use mushrooms, especially for meatless dishes.

Type: Finger food
Difficulty: super easy
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yields: 12 – 14 Quesadillas

Ingredients

32 oz. Jar Huitlacoche, drained. Use fresh if possible
1 ½ Tbsp. Olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 Jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped (use gloves if necessary)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can unsalted corn, drained
½ red bell pepper, chopped
1 lb Oaxaca or Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tsp. dried oregano
12–14 6” Whole wheat flour tortillas (you can also use corn tortillas)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add oil, onion, bell and jalapeño peppers and corn. Season with oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add garlic and huitlacoche. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
• In a separate skillet, griddle or comal, warm up tortillas to make them more pliable.
• Stuff each tortilla with huitlacoche mixture, add cheese and fold.
• Add a few drops of oil to hot comal and cook each quesadilla on both sides. Flip once with a spatula until gold brown.

Enjoy!

Suellen is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist based in the Rochester, NY area. Connect with her at suellenpinedaRDN@gmail.com or follow her on Instagram at @Suellen_Pineda