Meet the best 7-layer dip I’ve ever had. I’ve sampled my fair share of them, and wow, this recipe is the winner! Every layer is delicious on its own and builds on the last. The end result is creamy and cheese, of course, but it’s also perfectly balanced. Fresh avocado, jalapeño, cilantro, green onion and salsa offer fresh and bright flavors that cut through the cheddar cheese, sour cream and refried beans.

Store-bought ingredients yield great results, so you don’t have to turn on the stove to make this one. Each layer contains a fun little surprise, like a splash of salsa in the refried beans to loosen the texture and a burst of freshness from jalapeño in the sour cream. All seven layers come together quickly, too, so you can enjoy your appetizer after about twenty minutes of assembly.

Bring this 7-layer dip to your next watch party. Football season is in full swing (go Chiefs!), and I’ll make this recipe again this weekend. I’ve enjoyed the leftovers for lunch, so you don’t need a big occasion to make this recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do.

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These stuffed peppers aren’t the kind your mom made. They’re meatless and loaded with fresh flavor. They’re cheesy as shown, yes, but they’re just as good without the cheese. You can easily make these peppers dairy free or vegan.

Most stuffed peppers are made with Italian seasonings, but I went in a different direction. I was inspired to incorporate some of my favorite Mexican ingredients, including pinto beans, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, lime, chili powder and cumin. The filling is so tasty, I could eat it as a side dish! These peppers are somewhat time consuming, but each element is simple to make.

The trick to making great stuffed peppers is to slice the peppers in half from the stem end down through the base. Then, pre-roast the halves until they’re tender and a bit caramelized at the sliced edges. This way, their flavor is condensed and their texture is just right—not too crisp, but not falling apart.

Please do yourself a favor and cook extra brown rice while you’re at it. Then, you’ll be one step closer to dinner tomorrow night—say, Extra Veggie Fried Rice or any of these rice-based dishes. High five!

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Any tostada fans out there? If you love tacos, you’ll love tostadas. Tostadas are basically flat tacos with a crispy tortilla base. They’re a little messy to eat—don’t order them on a first date—but so fun and satisfying.

This recipe comes from my friend Maria’s new book, the Two Peas & Their Pod Cookbook (affiliate link). Her beautiful book offers approachable and fresh, everyday recipes that are perfect for busy families.

I knew this recipe would be great because these tostadas share all of the same qualities of a great taco: something hearty (refried beans), something creamy (avocado), something crisp (shredded cabbage and jicama), something tangy (pickled onions), and lots of fresh flavors.

The best part? Maria designed this recipe to be quick and easy enough for a regular weeknight. You could make them today!

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It’s freezing cold outside, and has been for days. All I want to eat is cozy comfort food like this vegetarian chili recipe. It’s my favorite, and leftovers taste even better the next day.

This chili is perfect for watching football games with a crowd, since it’s a hearty meatless option that carnivores will enjoy. Plus, it can be vegan and gluten free if you choose your toppings carefully. This chili will satisfy everyone.

I originally published this recipe four years ago. Since then, it’s become your favorite chili recipe as well (four-hundred reviews and counting).

I’ve cheered when you’ve told me that it won your chili competition, and love hearing that it’s become a staple recipe in your kitchen. Hooray!

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Did you see this one coming? This breakfast tostadas recipe is a combination of my recipes for pico de gallo, refried beans and fried eggs (or scrambled, you choose) on top of a crispy baked corn tortilla. Need I say more?

Ok, I’ll go on. I love Mexican cuisine and its endless variations on basic components. These vegetarian breakfast tostadas are such a fun breakfast option for weekends. They look impressive, but each component is quite simple to make.

In fact, if you have leftover pico de gallo and refried beans, these are easy to pull off on a regular weekday. Pile them together, and breakfast is served (or make it dinner).

The idea for this recipe came from a local restaurant called Tavern. It’s right next door to a bicycle shop where I had been looking for a new bike. At that point I had looked at every bike on the internet and available locally, and my patient boyfriend and I got hungry.

We went next door to Tavern and ordered their “breakfast nachos,” which didn’t look like I thought they would. They were made with crisp, flat, mini corn tortillas piled up like you see here—like mini tostadas! They hit the spot and I knew I had to recreate them.

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How about breakfast for dinner tonight? I’m so excited to share these simple breakfast quesadillas with you, finally! They’re way more fresh than standard diner fare, but just as satisfying.

These breakfast quesadillas are stuffed with fluffy scrambled eggs, melt-in-your-mouth pinto beans, fresh herbs and gooey cheddar cheese, all of which contrasts so nicely with the crisp, golden exterior. These delicious high-protein quesadillas come together in about 25 minutes.

As much as I love the flavor combination shown here, I should mention that this recipe is quite flexible. If you’re in a big hurry, you can skip the herbs. If you’re looking for a lighter meal, I think you could get by without the cheese. Want to switch cuisines? I like the idea of mozzarella, basil and marinara instead of salsa.

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Are you enjoying these Mexican-ish recipes as much as I am? I could really eat fresh Mexican food all day, every day.

I’m sharing these fully loaded veggie nachos with you today, to serve at Cinco de Mayo or your next get-together, or to appease your weeknight nacho craving (been there, often).

My ideal nachos are topped with golden, bubbling cheese, not drizzled with nacho cheese sauce that often goes cold in three minutes. I prefer a combination of two cheeses—cheddar, for maximum flavor and golden edges, and Monterey Jack, for its more melty and creamy texture.

I layer in beans for extra protein and fiber, and pinto beans are perfect for that. They’re creamy and hefty enough not to dry out in the oven like black beans do, as long as you layer them underneath the cheese. You could spread refried beans on each chip instead, but I feel like making nachos should be more throw-together than tedious. Right?

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Meet my new favorite tacos! These meatless tacos will please even the most adamant carnivores in your life.

This vegetarian taco recipe features refried pinto beans, creamy avocado sauce, quick-pickled onions and fresh garnishes.

If you ask me, every great taco possesses the following qualities: something hearty (beans), something creamy (avocado), something crisp (shredded cabbage), something tangy (pickled onions and feta), and lots of fresh flavors. These tacos have those qualities in spades.

These vegetarian tacos were inspired by an authentic Mexican taqueria in town, Bonito Michoacan. They offer one-dollar tacos on Fridays. I order beans and cheese on mine, then I load them up with my favorite condiments from their epic salsa and pickle bar. You can’t miss me—look for the girl with big hair and drippy-saucy tacos, dancing in her seat.

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Where have pinto beans been all my life? I dismissed them after a couple of lackluster Mexican restaurant meals, but I’ve recently realized pinto beans in their full glory. They’re creamy and rich, and mix in beautifully with scrambled eggs, soup, rice and more.

Pinto beans make the best refried beans, since they’re so buttery. I recently crossed my refried black beans recipe with my pinto beer beans (both available in my cookbook) and ended up with these outrageously delicious refried beans.

Fresh cilantro livens up these refried beans, and a squeeze of lime juice makes them taste more complex. Flavor aside, these refried beans are also a healthy source of plant-based protein and fiber (12 grams of each per serving). You can read up on pinto bean nutrition here.

Bonus? This recipe is so easy to make! I used high quality canned beans to make this recipe quickly. I tried home-cooked beans and couldn’t tell enough difference to bother doing it again. If you prefer to cook your own beans, though, you certainly can.

Cook up some onion in olive oil, add spices and beans, and your refried beans are ready in under 25 minutes. This recipe is far superior to store-bought refried beans, and it’s become a staple in my kitchen. I hope it becomes a staple in yours, too.

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It’s still cold outside! Let’s cozy up with some soup and trust that warm spring weather is on its way. If you enjoy bean-based chili recipes and tortilla soup, you are going to love this pinto posole.

I traded pinto beans for the pork you’ll find in traditional posole recipes, so this stew is vegan. It’s also hearty, spicy and delicious.

You’ll just need one pot for this stew, and I opted to use canned beans to cut the cooking time down to about 30 minutes. Leftovers taste even better the next day, and this dairy-free recipe freezes great for later, too.

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