I’ve learned so many things in my marriage.
Things like:
- How to sleep without any covers.
- How to grill nearly anything.
- How to stock a fridge so it overflows yet still yields nothing easy to eat.
- How to clean a bathroom while minimizing direct contact.
- How to unplug a hair dryer every single time.
- How to ignore a four-hour NASCAR race.
- How to use every inch of closet space.
- How to convince someone to enjoy unloading the dishwasher.
How to love country music.
How to politely ignore the rest of his music collection.
How to justify any food, shoe, candle—or whatever—purchase.
How to sleep (or lie there with my eyes closed) beside jet-engine snoring.
How to make a mojito.
How to drink a mojito. (Or ten.)
How to have the house to myself for the night.*
How to turn someone into a major cheese lover.
And, just last week, how not to make a quesadilla.
This was supposed to be the quesadilla that shouldn’t exist.
I even made a chicken version for options, but when I tried to serve the Brussels sprout version I was met with a firm “absolutely not” and the incredulous look: “Brussels sprouts in a quesadilla? You’re insane.”
But you eat Brussels sprouts in other dishes, right? So why not when they’re nestled in buttery, crisp tortillas with bacon and cheese?
It didn’t matter.
I ate the quesadilla on my own.
Today marks five years of marriage for Eddie and me, and it feels surreal. There were so many things I expected to be different—other jobs (some worse), other homes (maybe better), kids (possibly), and expectations (often ridiculous). It’s fitting I’m sharing a recipe he wouldn’t touch, not because he dislikes my cooking (that would be catastrophic), but because it symbolizes the life we’ve come to love together—messy, imperfect, and full of surprises.
Being married means learning when to pick your battles and when to let someone be. The minute he walked in that night I could tell he wasn’t in the mood to try anything new. He thought Brussels sprouts in a quesadilla sounded strange, and three years ago I would have nagged until he either took a bite or pretended not to hear me.
This time I chose to sit back and eat the quesadilla myself, quietly confident he’d love the combination someday. I suspect within a few months he’ll try it, love it, and forget he ever called it gross.
That’s marriage in a nutshell: compromise, patience, and the freedom to enjoy your own weird culinary experiments. Five years down—here’s to many more, and lots more Brussels sprout quesadillas.
Brussels, Bacon + Bean Quesadillas
Pin Recipe
Leave a Review »
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 pound brussels sprouts, stems removed and sliced
- 1 cup cannellini beans, if canned, drained and rinsed
- 6 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
- 4 (8-inch) multigrain or whole wheat tortillas
- olive oil or butter for crisping the tortillas
homemade blue cheese dip
- 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Instructions
-
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Once the fat renders and the bacon begins to crisp, stir in the sliced Brussels sprouts and cook until they soften, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the minced garlic and the cannellini beans and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat.
-
Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat (you can reuse the same skillet after emptying it). To assemble each quesadilla, sprinkle a little smoked mozzarella on one side of a tortilla, spread an even layer of the bacon and Brussels mixture, top with more cheese, and cover with a second tortilla. Add a bit of olive oil or butter to the pan and place the assembled tortilla in once the fat has melted. Cook until golden and crisp and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side.
homemade blue cheese dip
-
Whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, honey, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Fold in most of the crumbled blue cheese, spoon the dip into a serving bowl, and top with the remaining blue cheese.
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to follow @howsweeteats on instagram and tag #howsweeteats. You can also post a photo to the facebook page.
I appreciate you so much!
*Put on a girl’s marathon—works like a charm.