For this recipe, you will need about four cups of cooked red beans with their liquid.  If you don't know how to cook beans, click here for our page on How to Cook Beans Right.

The reason we use red beans for this recipe is because they hold together better than pinto beans, and make for a nicer texture in tacos as opposed to burritos or other closed wraps.

You will need:

4 cups cooked red beans
Olive oil
1 medium to large onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 medium to large bell pepper, or a tablespoon of chopped green chiles, depending on how hot you like it
2 tablespoons heavy tomato paste
2 cups of frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, or 2 tsp. dry
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon, more or less, of soy sauce
1 cup of shredded cheddar or other suitable "nacho" cheese.  Edam is also good for this.

Heat your oven to about 175 degrees Celsius.

Sweat the onions and bell peppers in a large frying pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil, until they are clear but not browned.

Toss in the corn, and when it's thawed, add the garlic and other herbs.

Stir in the tomato paste, and when it's warm but not quite bubbling yet, add the beans.

At this point, if you like, you can add about a half cup of shredded salami or ground beef or shredded chicken, or whatever kind of meat you like.  I personally prefer to not mix meat in with the beans in the pot.  Keep that as an option on the side, especially for vegetarians, and in the summer when some people prefer to have less meat.

A little at a time, add the soy sauce until it's salty enough for your taste.

Cover the pot, and bring just to a boil.

Pour the whole mixture into a casserole dish, and then sprinkle it with the cheese.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is starting to be a little golden brown.

Remove the casserole from the oven, and let it set for about 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, tortillas, and whatever else you normally like with tacos.

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