035 / 75 · Beans, Lentils and Chickpeas
Pinto Bean Sweetcorn Skillet with Cheese
2 skillet meals, each with half the beans, corn, cheese and 2 small corn tortillas · Active 25 min · Total 1 hr
Print recipe · PDFPinto beans and sweetcorn make a skillet meal with a simple tomato base and a short cheese finish. The key is to reduce the tomato liquid before adding the cheese; a watery pan will not become thick merely because it has a melted topping. Warm corn tortillas are included for scooping. Both beans and corn start from commercially canned products weighed after draining.
Give the vegetables their own time
Dice onion and pepper small enough to soften in the same pan. Stir them over medium heat before adding garlic and paprika, which need only a short turn. Then simmer the crushed tomatoes without a lid so excess liquid can escape. Draw a spoon across the base: the sauce should leave a brief trail before flowing back, rather than immediately filling the gap like thin juice. Pan width affects this stage. A narrow saucepan needs longer to reduce the same tin of tomato than the wide skillet specified here.
Melt without hiding the food
Fold in drained pinto beans and corn only once the base has thickened. Heat them thoroughly before sprinkling the measured cheese over the top. Cover briefly on low heat until it melts, then stop; a long high-heat boil can catch the beans on the base and toughen the cheese. Warm the tortillas in another dry pan or according to their package so they bend when folded. Divide the whole skillet and four tortillas between two portions. The cheese is part of the recipe, not an invitation to keep adding handfuls while using the original estimate. For a different brand of canned beans, the drained food weight is still the useful measurement. The tin’s whole net weight includes liquid that is not all present in this pan.
Ingredients
- About 1 2/3 cups canned pinto beans, well drained (300 g edible)
- About 1 cup canned sweetcorn, well drained (160 g edible)
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (400 g/about 14 oz), including juice
- 1 medium onion, finely diced (100 g)
- 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, finely diced (150 g prepared)
- 1 small garlic clove, minced (3 g)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (10 ml/about 9 g)
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika (2 g)
- 2/3 cup loosely grated cheddar (60 g)
- 4 small plain corn tortillas (100 g total)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (0.3 g)
Set out
28 cm/11-inch deep skillet with lid, Sieve, Small dry skillet or tortilla warmer required by package, Wooden spoon, Grater, Knife and board, Kitchen scale, Food thermometer, 2 plates or bowls
Allergens
Milk, Check corn-tortilla labels for wheat and other added allergens. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Drain canned beans and corn separately and weigh the edible portions. Heat oil in the deep skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and pepper for 9–10 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add garlic and paprika for 30 seconds.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes, stirring along the base, until thick enough to leave a brief spoon trail. Reduce heat if it spits heavily.
- Fold in drained beans and corn and heat gently for 5–6 minutes until hot throughout at 165°F/74°C, stirring so the base does not catch. Sprinkle all the measured cheddar evenly over the surface, cover on low heat for 2–3 minutes until melted, then take off the heat.
- Meanwhile warm tortillas to their package instructions. Divide all skillet contents between 2 plates or bowls and serve each with 2 tortillas.
A useful kitchen skill
Reduce a wet tomato base before adding a melted topping. Cheese cannot substitute for giving excess water time to evaporate.
A useful detail
The 60-minute total allows full vegetable softening and tomato reduction rather than assuming canned ingredients eliminate all cooking. The estimate uses canned pinto-bean drained solids, drained corn and the full cheese/tortilla amounts.
Another way
- Use 300 g drained canned red kidney beans instead of pinto beans, heating thoroughly and calculating for that canned product.
- Replace 60 g cheddar with 60 g whole-milk mozzarella for a milder finish and a different estimate.
Keep it well
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers at 40°F/4°C or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Use within 3 days. Reheat the needed bean portion to 165°F/74°C throughout, stirring before any short covered finish. Store and warm tortillas separately according to their package.