Vegetarian Tortilla Black Bean Pie

I made this dish for the first time last night and the first words out of my husband's mouth after taking his first bite were, "Yep, definitely make this again."  I took that to mean it's a keeper.  And I fully agree with him. 

For some reason my husband and I are very drawn to dishes that have a mexican-american (for lack of a better term) flare to them.  Don't get me wrong, he loves meat and potatoes just as much as the next guy, but since our self-imposed budget won't allow us to dine on filet mignon and porterhorse steaks every night of the week, we tend to be drawn to meals such as this one for all those nights inbetween.  Why?  Well, they typically have beans and lots of veggies which make us feel healthy, and best of all - they tend to couple that healthy deliciousness with a little cheese.  And when you're from the midwest, everything is better with cheese.  So...double win!  I know, I know, not so wonderful for the healthy factor, but hey everything in moderation.  Kind of like meat and potatoes.

But back to the recipe... 

I know it doesn't look very classy or pretty on the plate, but whatever it's lacking in looks, it sure makes up for in taste. 

Vegetarian Tortilla Black Bean Pie

Ingredients

• 4 (10-inch) flour tortillas


• 1 tablespoon canola oil


• 1 large onion, diced


• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1/2 teaspoon cumin


• salt and freshly ground black pepper


• 2 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed


• 1.5 cups of water OR 12 oz beer


• 1 (10 oz) package frozen corn


• 4 scallions, sliced, plus more for garnish


• 8 oz shredded Mexican/Taco flavored cheese


• sour cream or greek non-fat yogurt (really, you won't notice the difference and it's healthier!) and salsa for serving

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Trim the tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan.

2.  Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for 5-7 minutes or until onions are translucent.

3.  Add the beans and water (or beer) to the skillet and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until almost all liquid has evaporated. 

4.  Add the corn and scallions to the skillet, mix, and remove from heat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Place one of the trimmed tortillas in the bottom of the springform pan.  Spread 1/4 of the beans and a light layer of cheese on the tortilla and repeat 3 times.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top layer.  Bake approximately 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Unmold the pie, slice into wedges, and garnish with scallions.  Serve with sour cream/non-fat greek yogurt and salsa.

*Original recipe courtesy of Annie's Eats.  Love that blog.

Note:  This was the first time I made this recipe, so I followed it pretty much as it was written.  Next time I plan to add another jalapeno and to use red onion (instead of a yellow one as I did here) for even more of a flavor punch.