Pinto Bean Taco Skillet Bake

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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