Cazuelitas con Frijoles

I love any recipe with beans. Somehow, they take me back to those years when I lived in Bogota when I visited my grandmother’s house. She always had a feast waiting for us. Everything was fantastic, but her specialty was the traditional Colombian Pinto beans with pork chicharron and it was one of our most anticipated dishes. Years later, after I came to live in this country, I still remember those days fondly.
One of the recipes that take me back home is cazuelitas con frijoles. Often known as a Mexican dish called tazitas de tortilla rellenas, our family has found a way to infuse our Colombian flavors into our very own creation. This recipe is an ideal appetizer at any celebration. The original Mexican recipe suggests using bacon when cooking the beans, but for our recipe I prefer using Cacique® Pork Chorizo. Also, the cazuelitas o canasticas can be purchased ready-made, but we have always preferred baking our own tortilla cups until golden brown. On a side note, you can also use canned pinto beans if desired.
Another possible substitute ingredient for the original Mexican recipe is Cacique® Ranchero® Queso Fresco. The Mexican recipe recommends using mozzarella cheese, but our family has always preferred the taste of Cacique® Ranchero® Queso Fresco. It goes perfectly with the combination of chorizo and pinto beans.
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WHAT YOU NEED
- 4 oz of Cacique® Pork Chorizo
- 2 cups of cooked pinto beans
- ½ cup of water saved from cooking the beans
- 1 bag of small flour or corn tortillas of your choice.
- 1 cup of Cacique® Ranchero® Queso fresco, shredded
- Salt and pepper to taste
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Preheat oven to 375° F. In a muffin pan, nestle a tortilla inside each of the muffin molds. To prevent the tortilla from splitting, I recommend heating them for a while on the stove to soften before placement. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until they begin to brown. Remove and let cool.
- In a hot skillet, fry the chorizo for about 10 minutes or until cooked. Add the cooked beans with the half cup of water. Mash the beans and stir them in with the chorizo. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add a tablespoon of the mixture of the chorizo with the beans on each tortilla cup and sprinkle with queso fresco. Repeat with each tortilla cup. Serve and sprinkle more cheese!