Mexican Bean and Potato Bake

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This Mexican bean and potato bake is a hearty, satisfying one pot dinner with plenty of fresh veg!

Mexican bean and potato bake in a casserole dish topped with cheese.

If you asked me what my ideal meal would be, it would be something hearty and cheesy, but still with plenty of fresh veggies. Basically – this Mexican bean and potato bake. It’s exactly the sort of thing I love.

Portion of Mexican bean and potato bake in a bowl with cheese and salad.

Potato bake can be a balanced meal!

I absolutely love a good potato bake, but I generally think of it as a side dish, rather than a main course.

Think of something like potato dauphinoise – wonderfully delicious, but not exactly packed with nutrition. You definitely need to serve something else alongside it, preferably something protein-rich, to make a full meal (assuming someone else is watching… if you’re alone, I say go for it…).

This Mexican bean and potato bake, on the other hand, is unquestionably a meal in its own right. It’s got carbs, protein, and plenty of fresh veggies, all cooked up in one big pan – easy, fuss-free, and delicious!

Potatoes roasting in a large casserole dish.

Roasted potatoes

This bean and potato bake starts with one of my favourite things in the world – roast potatoes! A lot of potato bakes have layers of thinly sliced potatoes, but this version is much heartier, with big chunks of roasted potato instead.

Just roast the potatoes in a big dish until they’re starting to get crispy.

Potatoes and vegetables in tomato sauce in a large casserole dish.

Plenty of vegetables

Next up, the veggies! You could add all sorts of vegetables at this stage – I went for peppers, mushrooms and courgette (zucchini!), plus a tin of tomatoes to make everything nice and saucy, and some of my favourite Mexican-inspired spices.

As we’ve established many times before, roasted vegetables are the best kind of vegetables, so pop them back in the oven to cook right down.

And don’t forget to add a tin of beans as well – I used kidney beans. The beans are what elevate a simple potato bake into a full, balanced meal!

Cheesy bean and potato bake in a large casserole dish.

Last but not least – the cheese!

And finally, what potato bake would be complete without plenty of gooey cheese? Once the veggies are all nice and roasted, just sprinkle some grated cheese on top, and pop the dish back in the oven until everything is hot and melty.

The end result is irresistible – just get a big spoon and dig right in!

Cheesy Mexican bean and potato bake in a large casserole dish topped with cilantro.

How should I serve this Mexican bean and potato bake?

As I said, this bean and potato bake is designed to be a full meal in its own right – you don’t really need to serve anything at all alongside it.

But, a bit of variety is always nice, so if you want to serve something different on the side, go for it! Here are a few ideas:

  • crusty bread or garlic bread
  • a big green salad
  • dollops of sour cream, guacamole or salsa (Mexican food is all about the toppings!)
  • a few crunchy tortilla chips
  • fresh veggies, e.g. avocado, cherry tomatoes, spring onions, etc.

I simply served some salad on the side, and it was an amazing meal – so hearty and comforting, but pretty healthy too!

Cheesy Mexican bean and potato bake in a large casserole dish topped with cilantro and shot from above.

One pot dinner

I’ve been on a bit of a roll with the one pot dinners lately – I think as I get more and more pregnant, my patience for cooking gets more and more thin. So anything that is quick and straightforward to prepare really calls my name.

Although there are a few stages to this recipe, it actually requires very little effort – the oven pretty much does all the hard work for you. Just dig out your favourite big casserole dish, and get roasting!

How would you serve your Mexican bean and potato bake?

Portion of cheesy Mexican bean and potato bake in a bowl topped with cilantro.

Mexican Bean and Potato Bake

This Mexican bean and potato bake is a hearty, satisfying one pot dinner with plenty of fresh veg!

If you’ve cooked this recipe, don’t forget to leave a star rating!

4.94 from 133 votes
Print Pin Comment
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 449kcal
Author: Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 3 fairly large potatoes, cut into bitesize pieces
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 bell pepper (I used red), cut into bitesize pieces
  • ~ 8 medium mushrooms, quartered
  • 1 medium courgette (zucchini), cut into bitesize pieces
  • 400 g tin kidney beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
  • 400 g tin chopped tomatoes (~ 1 1/3 cups)
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp hot chilli powder
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • 75 g cheddar cheese, grated (~ 3/4 cup when grated)
  • Fresh coriander (cilantro), to serve (optional)

Instructions

  • Toss the diced potatoes in a dash of oil, and spread them out in a large casserole dish or baking dish. Roast at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for around 45 minutes, tossing halfway, or until mostly cooked and starting to crisp up.
  • Add all of the vegetables to the dish, along with the kidney beans, tinned tomatoes, and spices. Season generously, and mix to combine. Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the tomatoes have formed a rich sauce.
  • Top with the grated cheese, and bake for 15 more minutes, until the cheese has melted. Serve topped with fresh coriander if desired.

Video

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Mexican Bean and Potato Bake
Amount Per Serving (1 portion)
Calories 449 Calories from Fat 129
% Daily Value*
Fat 14.3g22%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 271mg11%
Potassium 1899mg54%
Carbohydrates 67.2g22%
Fiber 13.8g55%
Sugar 6.6g7%
Protein 17.5g35%
Calcium 170mg17%
Iron 6.1mg34%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

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Here’s another of my favourite Tex-Mex-inspired potato recipes – vegetarian chilli cheese fries!

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90 Comments

  1. Absolutely delicious! I will be making this regularly. It was super easy to make, and the flavors go together beautifully. Thank you!5 stars

  2. This is so simple to make I couldn’t believe how tasty it was. I didn’t roast the potatoes just put everything in together and it was perfect. The potatoes even went crispy on top.

    I know have a new easy meal when I cant be bothered with a lot of preparing.5 stars

  3. We tried this tonight, was super easy and on it’s own is a gorgeous comfort dinner. However my teenage daughter decided to try hers in a tortilla wrap with avocado and extra cheese and took it to a completely new level! Amazing!! Thanks for a fabulous and inspiring recipe! Definitely a hit!5 stars

  4. I loved this. Made it for the first time yesterday. As is usual with Becca’s recipes it was adaptable. I only had black beans so used these with sweet potato (more nutritious and in my opinion tastier), red pepper, courgette, mushrooms and red onion. I served with salad.. would be good as a supper dish for informal evening with friends5 stars

  5. This recipe is fantastic. It’s really versatile. I have added many different vegetables to it, depending on what is in season. I have used green beans, sweetcorn, sweet potato, butternut squash, marrow, chard, kale. I like to add one large onion and 2 cloves of garlic halfway through the baking time of the potatoes. This recipe also works with fresh tomatoes instead of tinned. Waxy potatoes work best. Thank you!5 stars