Happy first Monday of the year, guys!
I am still recovering from the holidays, but I’m also loving a fresh start. A clean slate. A chance to do it all over again, hopefully better than last time. That’s always my approach to the new year. I don’t set serious resolutions, but I try to have an overall attitude adjustment. It serves me better than an out-of-reach, too-lofty goal or resolution.
One of my small goals for 2022 is to eat less meat in general. I grew up eating vegetarian meals probably half the time. The other half involved lean proteins like chicken, turkey, or pork. Red meat was a treat, and a rare one at that.
Generally speaking, that’s how I feed my family as well. The only problem is that we’ve become very dependent on chicken. I think we eat it for dinner most days of the week (if not every day). And while there is nothing wrong with that, I do miss some of the vegetarian meals I grew up loving.
One of our standards was beans and rice. My parents would cook a big crock pot of beans and serve it simply with white or brown rice and an array of toppings, so that we could each make our bowl our own. I would always top mine with salsa, sour cream or yogurt, and grated cheddar. Total comfort food.
To this day, it’s one of my favorite nostalgic meals. It’s completely satisfying, hearty, and delicious. So, in an effort to eat more (and inevitably share more) vegetarian meals, I’m going off of that nostalgic bowl of beans and telling you all about this Pinto Bean Taco Skillet Bake!
This meal is SO easy to put together. It is loaded with my favorite taco spices, creamy pinto beans, tangy yogurt, and shredded cheddar and Jack cheeses. It kind of feels like a layered taco dip but as an entree, and I am HERE FOR IT.
This Pinto Bean Taco Skillet Bake is the perfect combo of nostalgic comfort for me in a delicious and slightly more modern way. This is meant to be enjoyed family style, with all the toppings, so everyone can serve up their plate of creamy and cheesy beans and top them however they like. You can eat these in tortillas for actual taco night, or just as is, straight out of the skillet with tons of fresh stuff on top and maybe a few tortilla chips for dipping. That’s my favorite way. You could also serve this over cooked rice! That would really pay homage to my parents well.
This type of meal is my favorite thing for busy weeknights. It comes together easily, quickly, and with ingredient I always have in my pantry or fridge. It’s comforting and hearty without being too heavy. AND it reminds me of childhood. Doesn’t get much better than that!
Here’s how to bring it all together for your family!
Ingredients You Need to Make this Pinto Bean Taco Skillet Bake:
- Avocado oil
- Onion
- Red bell pepper
- Jalapeno pepper
- Garlic
- Spices – cumin, chili powder, coriander, and smoked paprika
- Canned pinto beans
- Greek yogurt
- Ranch dressing
- Limes
- Grated cheddar or Jack cheese (or both!)
- Fresh toppings – romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, radishes – all optional!
- Tortilla chips, tortillas, or rice – all options for serving
How to Make this Pinto Bean Taco Skillet Bake:
- We start by making our bean mixture. Saute onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic until soft in a large, oven-safe skillet. Add in your favorite taco spices and the drained and rinsed canned beans. Add in a splash of water as well.
- Cook until the beans are warmed through and easily mashable. I like to mash some of the beans and leave some whole for an interesting texture – you can do whatever you prefer!
- Transfer the beans to a bowl and set aside.
- Mix together the yogurt layer in a bowl – Greek yogurt, ranch dressing, more taco spices, and fresh lime zest and juice. Mix it up and then spread it in the same skillet used for the beans.
- Top the spiced yogurt with the bean mixture. Top the beans with the grated cheese.
- Transfer the skillet tto the oven and bake at 400°F until it is bubbly and gooey, about 15 minutes.
- Serve the beans straight from the skillet, topped however you like. You can do chopped romaine, cherry tomatoes, scallions, avocado slices, red onions, more jalapenos, lime juice, thinly sliced radishes, etc – whatever you like!
- Serve it as is or in taco shells or over rice, garnished however you please.
Tips & Tricks for this Pinto Bean Taco Skillet Bake:
- If making and serving later (or if enjoying as leftovers), I recommend assembling the skillet with the layers of yogurt, beans, and cheese and heating/re-heating it as needed. Top with the fresh ingredients just before serving.
- You can mix and match the ingredients here. Switch up the beans or cheeses. Add different spices. Add different toppings. The possibilities are endless!
- Serving ideas: serve this as a dip for a crowd or in tacos. Scoop out the bean mixture and serve it in taco shells or tortillas and top with the fresh ingredients. This bean mixture is also wonderful served over rice and then topped however you see fit. We love it straight out of the skillet, topped with all the fresh ingredients, and served with a few tortilla chips on the side.
Just look at that delicious plate. Creamy, cheesy, spiced beans topped with fresh lettuce, avocado, tomatoes, and a drizzle of ranch dressing. Extra lime wedges on mine, please!
This is just the kind of Meatless Monday meal I can get behind. And then some.
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Pinto Bean Taco Skillet Bake
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Pinto Bean Taco Skillet Bake is an easy, vegetarian, and hearty meal to throw together on a busy weeknight! Creamy pinto beans, spiced Greek yogurt, and cheese bake until ooey and gooey. Serve it hot and topped with all the fresh toppings. Eat it straight out of the skillet with tortilla chips, or in tortillas for taco night, or over rice! The possibilities are endless.
Ingredients
For the Bean Layer:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 (15-oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Yogurt Layer:
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (I like 2% but you can use whatever you like)
- 3 tablespoons ranch dressing
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Juice and zest of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For Assembly:
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated cheddar or jack cheese (or a combo of both)
- 3 cups finely chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup pickled or fresh jalapenos, chopped
- 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
- 1/4 cup radishes, thinly sliced
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro
- Tortilla chips or tortillas, for dipping
- Additional ranch, for drizzling
Instructions
For the Bean Layer:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a large oven-proof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic and cook for a few minutes until the veggies begin to soften.
- Stir in the spices and stir to evenly coat the veggies.
- Stir in the drained beans and ¼ cup of water and cook, slightly mashing the beans as they cook, for about 10 minutes. You can make the bean mixture as smooth or as chunky as you prefer.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the bean mixture into a bowl and set aside.
For the Yogurt Layer:
While the beans cook, make the yogurt layer by combining all the ingredients in a bowl, mixing well to combine. Season, to taste.
To Assemble:
- Spread the yogurt mixture in an even layer in the skillet used for the beans (no need to wipe out the skillet first).
- Top the yogurt with the beans and then the grated cheese.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until gooey and bubbly around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
To Serve:
- Top the skillet with the romaine, tomatoes, pickled jalapenos, scallions, radishes, and spritz everything with lime juice. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Serve the skillet while everything is still warm, garnished with additional ime wedges, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips or tortillas, and even an extra drizzle of ranch dressing.
Notes
- If making and serving later (or if enjoying as leftovers), I recommend assembling the skillet and heating/re-heating it as needed. Top with the fresh ingredients just before serving.
- Serving ideas: serve this as a dip for a crowd or in tacos. Scoop out the bean mixture and serve it in taco shells or tortillas and top with the fresh ingredients. This bean mixture is also wonderful served over rice and then topped however you see fit. We love it straight out of the skillet, topped with all the fresh ingredients, and served with a few tortilla chips on the side.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: vegetarian meals
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
love these flavors and pintos are a staple of mine too, so I’m in! thank you