If there’s one event food bloggers get excited about, it’s the Super Bowl. Everyone is posting their recipes this week in preparation for the big game. And, of course, I’m doing the same.
The recipe I’m sharing with you today uses another variety of fantastic dried beans from the N. K. Hurst Company. I can’t say enough good things about dried beans. First, they’re beautiful! The colors are gorgeous. I love to put them in glass jars and add them to my pantry just so I can look at them. Besides being pretty, they’re convenient (long storage life), thrifty (about 1/3 the price of canned), and nutritious (full of fiber and protein). Plus, they’re easy to cook. Yes, I said easy.
I cooked a pot of pintos to get started with this recipe but, since it uses only two cups of beans, it would be perfect for leftovers. My in-house taste tester (a.k.a. BeeBop) gave this one two thumbs up. It’s most definitely football food. Just pair it with your favorite beverage and you’ll be all set. BeeBop said it reminded him in a way of our favorite southern style lacy cornbread. Now, trust me…that’s a recommendation!
Start by cooking the beans. The package of Hurst’s Hambeens® Pinto Beans has a packet of ham seasoning inside. Remove the packet and set it aside until later in the recipe. Look over the beans and remove any that are broken or shriveled along with any debris you may find. Honestly, I hardly ever find any bad beans or debris in Hurst’s beans. Maybe one or two broken beans and that’s about it. They’re pretty darned clean, but they are a raw agricultural product so, just to be safe, check them over.
Rinse the dry beans and put them in a large pot. Cover the beans with water at least two inches deeper than the height of the beans. Bring them to a rapid boil the remove them from the heat and let the pot stand for one hour.
After one hour, add the onion and black pepper and continue cooking in the same water for an additional hour. Add more water during the cooking time only if needed. When the beans are nearly tender, add the ham seasoning packet and salt. Let the beans cool to room temperature or refrigerate overnight before continuing with the recipe.
See? Cooking dried beans is so easy! Up until now you’ve had hands-on of, maybe, a total of 10 minutes if that.
Put the cooled, drained beans in a large mixing bowl. Mash the beans thoroughly using a potato masher, fork, or in a blender or food processor.
I’m going to let you in on something you never knew about me. I rarely use kitchen machines. I almost always prefer to do things by hand. I own a top of the line Cuisinart food processor. I’ve had it for over a year and have used it exactly twice. Both times to grate a large amount of cheese. There’s just something about the noise. I have a fabulous KitchenAid stand mixer. I still reach for a whisk to beat egg whites. I know…weird.
Anyway, once you have your beans all nicely mashed, add the red and yellow bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper, flour, and egg. Stir everything together until thoroughly combined. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes while you heat the oil.
Heat about 3 tablespoons of peanut oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Drop the bean mixture by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. Press very gently to just slightly flatten the bean cake. Fry for 3-4 minutes on the first side or until golden brown. Do not try to turn the bean cake until the underside is very nicely golden brown.
Flip the cakes over and fry the second side for about 3 more minutes or until browned. Remove the cakes to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat until all the bean mixture is used. Add additional oil between batches if needed.
Top the cakes with a small dollop of sour cream, a tiny bit of salsa, and a bit of grated cheddar cheese and cilantro.
Enjoy!
Note: I am required by FTC rules to disclose that I will receive compensation from the N. K. Hurst Co. for this post. However, any opinions expressed in the post are strictly my own. Always have been. Always will be.
Pinto Bean Cakes with Salsa and Sour Cream
Ingredients
For the beans:
- 1 20 oz. package Hurst’s HamBeens® Pinto Beans with Ham Flavor
- 6-8 cups water
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tsp. salt
For the pinto bean cakes:
- 2 cups cooled and well drained pinto beans
- 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
- 1/4 cup diced green onion
- 1 tblsp. minced cilantro
- 1/2 tsp. lime juice
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 3 tblsp. flour
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Up to 1/2 cup peanut oil for frying
- 2 tblsp. grated cheddar cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Set aside the ham seasoning packet included with the beans for use later. Rinse the dry beans under cool water and remove any debris, if necessary. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with water at least two inches above the height of the beans. Bring to a rapid boil. Remove from heat and let stand for one hour.
- After one hour, add onion and pepper and continue cooking in the same water for an additional hour. Add additional water during the cooking time only if needed. Cook until beans are tender. Near the end of the cooking time, add the ham seasoning packet and salt. Let the beans cool to room temperature or refrigerate overnight before continuing with the recipe.
- Place the cooled, drained beans in a large mixing bowl. Mash the beans thoroughly using a potato masher, fork, or in a blender or food processor. Add the red and yellow bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper, flour, and egg. Stir together until thoroughly combined. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes while you heat the oil.
- Place about 3 tablespoons of peanut oil in a non-stick skillet and heat the oil over medium-high heat. Drop the bean mixture by tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. Press gently to slightly flatten the bean cake. Fry for 3-4 minutes on the first side or until golden brown. Do not try to turn the bean cake until the first side is very nicely golden brown. Flip the cakes over and fry the second side for about 3 more minutes or until browned.
- Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Repeat until all the bean mixture is used. Add additional oil if needed.
- Top the cakes with a small dollop of sour cream, a tiny bit of salsa, and a bit of grated cheddar cheese and cilantro.
Notes
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Other bean appetizers or snack recipes you might enjoy from around the internet:
- Roasted Lemon and White Bean Hummus from Simply Scratch
- 7 Layer Bean Dip from Yum Sugar
- Santiago Salsa (Beans and Rice Dip) from The Kitchn
- Black Bean and Corn Wonton Cups from Betty Crocker
- Lemony White Bean Bruschetta from Good Housekeeping
What I was up to…
- One year ago: Turnip Green Dip
- Two years ago: Tomato-Tarragon Soup
- Three years ago: Italian Sausage and Peppers
Oh my goodness! Those look fabulous. I will have 12, with extra cheese, please. With all of the nutrition factor in the beans, how can you go wrong?
I will be watching the Super Bowl, for the commercials, and the food. These little bites of deliciousness will definitely make an appearance. Don’t have a clue which teams are playing.
Miss P
One dozen coming right up!
I have to say that I love these ham beans. Since, I am cooking heathier for my husband. These are the only beans we eat that has not added fat from ham. It’s my favorite brand to give him the ham flavor. I absolutely love this product. Thanks , Tien
We love these beans, too, Tien. They’re convenient, easy to cook, and very healthy.
Yum! I can definitely get excited about these!
Thanks, Amanda.
Lana, it breaks my heart, thinking of that stand mixer taking up so much of your counter space. Tell you what – you box it up and ship it to me! I’ll take it off your hands, and even spring for the shipping expense! How’s that for a caring reader? =)
Such a considerate guy! When I decide I need more counter space, I’ll give you a shout!
Mmmm, I could devour a few of these! I’ve never made pinto cakes, they look delicious!
I had never made pinto cakes, either, Aggie. But I had an idea that I thought would work and I just went with it. I think it turned out really great!
These sound so-o-o-o good Lana! What a great idea! I am definitely going to give these a try – may have my students make them in my Vegetarian nutrition class!
Thanks, Nancy! I thought they turned out really well. If you have your students make them, just know that they are very tender and if you try to turn them before the bottom is browned very well they’ll try to fall apart. That’s the only little thing to watch out for.
Hi Lana,
Your Pinto Bean Cakes recipe sounds yummy; I’m about to try it out. Before I fry up all the mix into cakes, can you advise if it is possible to freeze the mixture to use another time?
Thanks!
Sue
Hello Sue – I haven’t tried freezing this mix, so I can’t advise you. Sorry. If I were to try it, I’d probably shape the mixture into patties, freeze them on a tray and place into a container when solidly frozen. I’d probably fry them from their frozen state. I have a feeling they’d fall apart, however. Only a guess.
Hi Lana,
Thanks for the advice. I made the bean cakes with a mix of pinto and red kidney beans, blitzing them with a blender. The flavour is great and they actually cook better from frozen because they hold their shape better in the pan. My mixture was very soft, so it was quite hard to shape them into patties, and they stayed soft, even when lovely and crisply fried on the outside.
Any suggestions on how to get them to firm up a bit in the pan? I did wonder if I hadn’t put enough egg in, but that would have made them even softer to work with…
Anyway, these “protein patties” are a hit with my teenage daughters, who love them as snacks when they get home from school, with salsa or ketchup.
Many thanks
Sue