molletes cheesy mexican bean sandwiches

Dinner

Molletes Cheesy Mexican Bean Sandwiches

Drescription

These hearty open-face sandwiches are ready in no time and can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They're typically made with refried beans; here we use pureed black beans scented with cumin and oregano instead for a similar effect.

Ingredients

1 cup no-salt-added canned black beans, rinsed
3 tablespoons water
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped tomato
½ jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 (4-inch) white bread rolls, halved
extra-virgin olive oil spray
⅓ cup shredded cheese, such as oaxaca, mozzarella, pepper jack or cheddar

Directions

Preheat broiler. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine beans, water, cumin, oregano and salt in a small food processor. Process until thick and smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside.
Stir together tomato, jalapeño, onion, cilantro and lime juice in a medium bowl.
Arrange rolls cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet; coat lightly with olive-oil spray. Broil until lightly golden and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from oven. Divide the bean mixture among the 4 roll halves, spreading evenly; top with cheese. Broil until the cheese has melted, 30 to 45 seconds. Divide the pico de gallo evenly among the sandwiches.

Champagne Mustard

Homemade mustard is easy, actually. Ok, sure, it’s a multi-day process, but it’s almost all inactive time. Making mustard is so straightforward, delicious, and customizable, you’ll be wondering why people don’t do it more often. This version calls for Champagne, perfect for using up any pesky, fast-flattening bottles you may have open, but any sparkling wine or even non-sparkling wine will do. Once the mustard is finished, it can only benefit from sitting and maturing in the fridge for a couple of days before enjoying.