... Tortilla and Black Bean Pie & Margaritas. Ole!

What better reason to have a Mexican fiesta than when the temp is in the single digits and you're up to your ears in snow?

Santa must have been thinking the same thing when he brought me Everyday Food's Great Food Fast for Christmas.  Not only does the cookbook have a picture for every recipe, but it divides the recipes into seasons and even gives nutritional information for each recipe.  Love!  I definitely think this is going to be a favorite go-to book and can't wait to try out recipe numero dos.

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie
serves 6

4 flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces beer, or 1 1/2 cups water
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Using a paring knife, trim the tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan, using the bottom of the pan as a guide.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the beans and beer to the skillet and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium; simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in the corn and scallions, and remove from the heat.  Season with salt and pepper.

Fit a trimmed tortilla in the bottom of the springform pan; layer with one quarter of the beans and 1/2 cup cheese.  Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on the top layer.  Bake until hot and the cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes.  Unmold the pie; sprinkle with scallions.  Slice into wedges and serve immediately.

Taylor's Notes:
I used the burrito size tortillas which ended up working out great.  I wonder if the size smaller than that would fit perfectly into the springform pan without having to trim them... I might give that a shot next time, but the trimming really wasn't an issue.


Use a slotted spoon to layer the beans onto the tortillas.  Most of the liquid does evaporate, but you don't want the tortillas to get soggy.


Other than that, the recipe was really simple and turned out great.  And, for just a second, I felt like it was definitely at least 15 degrees outside.


Enjoy!