Baked Black Bean Flautas Recipe

Mexican cuisine brings us a wide variety of delicious meals, and many have become common weeknight dinners for busy families because they're quick and don't involve a lot of prep time. Who doesn't love a quick meal? Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for baked black bean flautas and says, "I love this recipe because I'm guaranteed to have a happy family whenever I make it. The filling is flavorful, hearty, and full of fiber to keep everyone full. I like to bake these in the oven instead of frying because they're much healthier and taste so much fresher."

So, what's the difference between a flauta and a taquito, you may be wondering? It's all in the wrapping. Flautas are typically wrapped with flour tortillas and taquitos usually use corn tortillas. They make a great meal on their own but pair well with a fresh bowl of gazpacho soup or some Mexican street corn.

To make this recipe, head to the produce aisle first and pick up a white onion, garlic, an Anaheim chili, avocados, cilantro, red onion, jalapeño, lime, and tomatoes if you want to add those as a topper. Then we'll need some avocado or olive oil, black beans, and the spices which you may have on hand, are chili powder, cumin, salt, and smoked paprika. "You can use regular paprika here if that's what you have, but you'll give up some of the smoky flavor," Hahn shares. Then grab some shredded cheddar cheese and medium sized tortillas. If you want to make this meal dairy free, just use a dairy free cheese or omit it altogether.

Our first step will be to preheat the oven to 400 F and get the bean filling going. Dice the onion, garlic, and Anaheim chili pepper. Pour the oil into a frying pan and bring the heat to medium. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, and chili pepper and saute for about 8 minutes. If the pan is starting to dry out, you can add some broth.

Now add the beans, chili powder, cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, smoked paprika, and ½ cup of broth. To soften up the beans, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. "Check the pan often just to make sure there is ample liquid to keep the mixture from sticking to the pan," Hahn remarks. After they have softened, pull out a potato masher or a wooden mallet and mash the beans into a chunky mixture, leaving some of the beans whole so you have a mix of textures.

While the beans are cooking, you can quickly whip up the guacamole. Add the avocados to a large bowl and mash with a fork. Now we'll add the remaining garlic, cilantro, red onion, jalapeño, lime juice, and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix to combine, cover, and place in the fridge until ready to use. "This guacamole is my standard go-to mixture whenever I make Mexican food. It's so much better than the pre-made guacamole from the grocery store," Hahn shares.

To roll the flautas, scoop out about 3-4 tablespoons of the bean mixture and about 1 tablespoon of cheese and place it in the bottom third area of the tortilla. Roll it up tightly leaving the sides open. As you roll them, place them into a 9x13-inch baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. "You will most likely have to squeeze in that eighth flauta, which is fine because they don't need any space in between them when baking," Hahn tells us.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. The tops should be golden brown, which is a good indicator that they're done baking. When serving, you can top them with the guacamole or use is as a dip. Either way this recipe just might make its way onto your weekly meal rotation list!