Why is it that the plainest-looking dishes often taste the best? A friend who moved here from Texas and now lives in our cold, windy corner of Western New York misses the reliable Tex‑Mex she grew up with. She endures the weather without complaint, but she complains—lightly—about the lack of authentic Tex‑Mex options nearby. A couple of weeks ago she tried a place in Rochester and posted photos that looked like the real deal. Her description inspired me to recreate what she’d found. The result: Tex Mex Mash—far from pretty, but irresistible.

I subscribe to the First Rule of Food Blogging: no food is too ugly to photograph, as long as you add a generous scattering of fresh herbs on top. So I photographed this humble dish and shared it because it was too good to keep to myself.

So what is Tex Mex Mash? It’s smashed pinto beans simmered with a garlicky, chipotle‑tomato sauce combined with seasoned, browned ground beef, then topped with crispy bacon, plenty of chopped cilantro (or parsley), and sliced green onions. The flavor is bold and smoky; the texture is creamy with a little bite from the whole beans that are left unmangled. While the pot simmered, folks kept dipping spoons right into it. We served it over hot rice with a dollop of guacamole. The next day it made an excellent lunch over crispy tortilla chips, finished with more guacamole and a squeeze of lime. The pan never seemed to empty even though a crowd kept returning for more.

This is a great family meal because it stretches well: one pound of ground beef plus two cans of pinto beans (and pantry staples) fed seven people with leftovers. That kind of economy and crowd‑pleasing flavor makes Tex Mex Mash a guaranteed repeat for sleepovers and busy weeknights.

Cook’s Notes

• Crisp the bacon first in a wide pot so you capture the flavor of the bacon fat. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and leave the fat in the pan to build the base for the beans.
• I prefer to brown the ground beef in a separate pan. It’s easier to manage and lets you cook both components at once, saving time.
• Two cans of pinto beans in their liquid work perfectly, but you can use any canned beans or 3 cups of home‑cooked pinto beans (with their cooking liquid).
• Keeping the bean liquid is important: simmering the beans in their liquid deepens the flavor and helps them break down into a silky mash.
• Skip cutting the chipotles on a board; place them on a saucer and mash them with a fork before adding to the pot. It’s quicker and less messy.
• Simmer the beans until they mash easily but still have some texture. I like them thick enough to cling to a spoon yet loose enough to scoop onto chips.
• Add the crispy bacon only at serving time so it stays crunchy.

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Tex Mex Mash

Rebecca Lindamood

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Ingredients

• 4 strips bacon sliced crosswise into 1/8 to 1/4 inch pieces
• 2 cans pinto beans and their liquid or 3 cups cooked pinto beans in their liquid
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes 14.5 ounces
• 2 to 4 chipotles in adobo plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce adjust to desired heat
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Optional:

• chopped fresh cilantro, green onions, and jalapeño for garnish

Instructions

• In a wide pot, cook the bacon over medium‑low heat until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel‑lined plate and set aside. Raise the heat to medium.
• Add the pinto beans with their liquid, the diced tomatoes, and the mashed chipotles with a tablespoon of adobo sauce to the pot. Bring to a simmer and let cook gently, lowering the heat as needed so it doesn’t evaporate too quickly.
• In a separate pan, brown the ground beef over medium‑high heat. Add the garlic, chili powder, kosher salt, and cumin, breaking up the beef and cooking until browned. Drain excess fat or liquid and set the beef aside.
• Return the beans to a gentle simmer and use a sturdy spoon or potato masher to roughly mash them, leaving some whole for texture. Stir in the browned beef. Garnish with crispy bacon, chopped cilantro, green onions, and sliced jalapeño if desired.
• Serve hot or warm over rice, or spoon over tortilla chips for a crunchy, loaded snack.

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition based on the exact ingredients you use with your preferred tool.

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