Black Bean Grilled Cheese (Printable)

Savor a flavorful sandwich featuring seasoned black beans and melted cheese in toasted bread.

# What you'll need:

→ Black Bean Filling

01 - 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
06 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
11 - 1 tablespoon lime juice

→ Sandwich

12 - 8 slices sandwich bread (whole wheat or white)
13 - 2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
14 - 4 tablespoons butter, softened

# Method:

01 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté chopped onion for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
02 - Stir in black beans, ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder if using, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, mashing some beans gently with the back of a spoon.
03 - Remove the skillet from heat. Mix in chopped cilantro and lime juice. Set aside the filling.
04 - Arrange bread slices and spread a thin layer of softened butter on one side of each slice.
05 - Flip half of the bread slices to place buttered side down. Evenly spread black bean filling over these slices, top with shredded cheese, then cover with remaining bread slices, buttered side up.
06 - Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Cook sandwiches for 3-4 minutes per side, pressing gently, until bread is golden brown and cheese has melted.
07 - Slice sandwiches and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes indulgent and restaurant-worthy but costs about two dollars per sandwich.
  • You can make the filling in under five minutes, which means lunch doesn't have to be a production.
  • It's hearty enough to actually fill you up, thanks to the protein-packed beans hiding inside.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans, because the starchy liquid is what makes your filling soupy and gross instead of chunky and perfect.
  • Medium heat is not a suggestion—high heat will burn the outside of your bread before the cheese inside has time to melt, and you'll be sad.
  • The butter absolutely must be softened, not melted, so you can spread it thin and evenly. Room temperature butter is your friend here.
03 -
  • Use a mix of cheeses—cheddar for sharpness, Monterey Jack for melt—and you get something way more interesting than one cheese alone.
  • If your butter is hard, just leave it on the counter for ten minutes rather than trying to microwave it, because microwaved butter spreads uneven and browns unevenly.
Return