Baked black beans

This dish is really versatile. In addition to being the perfect side for any kind of fajita or tacos, it would be a great appetizer served with chips.
 My husband and I just loved these beans and so did my 16-year-old son. (he filled it inside his fajita!). You can adjust the heat in this dish by adding more hot peppers and/or more red pepper.

Note! The original recipe had lightly sauteed Chorizo (Mexican sausage) sprinkled on top before baking. Use about 1/2 cup of diced Chorizo for a meaty version.


Baked black beans
Cooking spray

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 jalapeno pepper, diced

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added black beans,
rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped seeded tomato
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, saute onion and jalapeno about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt, cumin, red pepper and garlic, saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and beans; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes.Mash to desire consistency. Spoon bean mixture into an 8- inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with tomatoes and cheese.

 Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Top with green onions.


Serves 6

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, June 2011