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 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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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?
Mexican Bean and Potato Bake
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Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 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
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Here’s another of my favourite Tex-Mex-inspired potato recipes – vegetarian chilli cheese fries!
Loved it. Every bite was enjoyed and I will be making it again.
Thank you.
Thanks so much, that’s lovely to hear!
I made this last night for dinner and it was delicious. I made some Guacamole to serve on top and the whole meal was simple to make. It takes a bit of time to cook but as long as you have the veggies chopped up ready before you start and you chop them as suggested (small, bite size pieces), this is an easy recipe. I had some waxy potatoes to use up and was worried that they wouldn’t cook but the long cooking time in the oven meant that they cooked beautifully.
Thanks Rose, glad you enjoyed it! Love the idea of a dollop of guacamole on top!
So delicious. Even my picky, non-vegetarian 17-year old loves it.
That’s so great to hear, thanks LT!
Absolutely delicious! I will be making this regularly. It was super easy to make, and the flavors go together beautifully. Thank you!
Thanks so much Candice!
Strange flavor combination. I would omit the tomatoes next time.
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.
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks Alyson!
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!
Ooooh sounds wonderful!
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 friends
Thanks so much Susan! Sounds lovely, glad you liked it!
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!
Thanks Letty, so glad you enjoy this one!
Can I make this on a grill. Hot weather,here.
Hi Wanda, do you mean like a BBQ grill? I’ve never tried so can’t advise, sorry.