Pinto Beans Recipes

Pinto beans are one of the key ingredients of many popular Mexican dishes including tostados, burritos, chili dips and soups. They belong to the class of 'common beans'. They are medium-sized, kidney shaped and fairly flat in appearance. These beans are brownish in color with spots or streaks of a darker shade of brown on them.

This is the reason they are sometimes known as 'spotted' or 'painted' beans. However, they lose their mottled appearance and turn pale pink to red in color when cooked.

They rank high on nutrition too. Being low in saturated fat and high in dietary fiber, makes them a preferred option for heart patients. Pinto beans are also good for people who have fluctuating blood sugar levels or are diabetic. The reason being, these beans do not allow the blood sugar to spike easily, i.e. they provide slow and sustained release of energy for the body.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pinto beans
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Wash the beans with cold water and drain them. Place them in a saucepan and pour about 8 cups of water. When it starts boiling, add roughly chopped onions to it and cover the pan. Let it simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Now, add salt and oregano to the beans and continue cooking for about an hour until the beans are soft and tender.

Now, in a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the cooked beans along with the juice to the oil. Mash the beans when they fry, until creamy. Sprinkle some salt, top them with cheese and serve!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of cooked pinto beans (unseasoned)
• 2 eggs
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon clove
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• Salt
• 1 unbaked pie shell

Directions:
Cream the sugar and butter together. Beat the eggs and add them to the butter mixture. Now, add the beans and blend until the mixture is thick and smooth. Put in vanilla and the spices. Pour this filling into the unbaked pie shell and bake in a preheated oven for about an hour.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans pinto beans
• 1 cup diced onions
• 1 cup diced peppers
• 2 cups tomatoes
• 1 cups mayonnaise
• 2 cups corn bread, crumbled

Directions:
In a salad plate, place the crumbled corn bread. Put the beans on top of the bread. Now, in a small bowl, mix peppers, onions, tomatoes and mayonnaise. Place this mixture on top of the beans and serve.

Cooking pinto beans is a fairly simple task! You can cook them on a stove, in a pressure cooker or in a crock pot. Once the beans are softened, you can cook them in any manner to suit your taste buds.