Pinto Beans, Kale and Ham on Green Chili Cornbread Waffles

Pinto Beans, Kale and Ham

I love feel good movies with just a little sappy romance and it never hurts if they feature people cooking or enjoying food. Today, was a rare day in Denver. It has been rainy and dreary grey all day. Just one of those days where school wasn’t working so well so I ended up watching the movie, “Today’s Special” while I worked on getting this blog done.  A nice little movie about a guy finding his passion and the girl of his dreams all while finding himself.

Pinto Beans, Kale and Ham

It left me with a warm fuzzy feeling at the end because he does get things figured out, falls in love and creates beautiful food. Hummmm, love and food all in the same movie. That can never be wrong! Now if I can just get things figured out for myself, life will be most excellent. I have my lovely hubby who I adore, so one step taken care of. And of course I have my love for food, but how to put everything together into figuring out my path in life.

Pinto Beans, Kale and Ham

And now that’s enough about me because of course I’m sharing another wonderful recipe with you so you can indulge in your love of food along with me. Yesterday, I cooked up a big pot of pinto beans with the intentions of turning them into burritos for dinner. I had already been to the store and half way through deciding what to put into the mix, realized I was out of tortillas. GASP!

Pinto Beans, Kale and Ham

I didn’t feel like going back to the store and was just about to change my mind on course of action, when the idea popped into my head to use my green chili cornbread waffles under the mix instead. I mean really, how can that possibly be wrong?! Of course, it can’t be. It was wonderful. I mixed in leftover ham and kale with the pinto beans, along with a couple of chilies. Then served the mix up on my beautiful waffles topped with goat cheese, chopped tomatoes and a little dollar of non-fat Greek yogurt. YUMMY!

Pinto Beans, Kale and Ham

Hubby loved it! Said he didn’t miss the tortilla, although he did agree with me that the mix would have been great in burrito form as well. So give it a try with either tortillas or on the cornbread waffle and let me know your favorite way to eat it.

Pinto Beans, Kale and Ham

Pinto Beans, Kale and Ham Burrito Mix

heidi medina
Total Time 20 minutes

Notes

1 Tbsp. Olive oil
3 cups cooked pinto beans
1 cup ham, chopped
1/2 bunch kale, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 cup green chilies, chopped
1 Serrano chili, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup water
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, green chilies and Serrano chili and cook until fragrant. Add in the pinto beans and ham, followed by the oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Put in the water and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until thickened. Add the kale and cook for another 5 minutes until kale is wilted.
Serve wrapped in tortillas as burritos or over my cornbread waffles below. Add cheese, tomatoes, sour cream or toppings of your choice to complete the dish.
Pinto Beans, Kale and Ham

Green Chili Cornbread Waffles

heidi medina
Crispy, golden cornbread waffles with roasted green chilies and scallions. Savory, slightly spicy, and ready in 30 minutes. Perfect for brunch or as a base for toppings!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Breakfast & Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings 4 waffles

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • cup stone-ground cornmeal
  • tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • tsp salt
  • tsp black pepper
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cup + 2 tbsp almond milk or milk of your choice
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • cup roasted green chilies finely chopped
  • ¼ cup green scallions chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your waffle iron.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper.
  • Make a well in the center. Add the egg and beat lightly.
  • Pour in the milk and olive oil, mixing just until combined — don’t overwork the batter.
  • Fold in the roasted green chilies and scallions.
  • Pour batter into the preheated waffle iron in the amount suited to your iron. Cook until golden brown.
  • Keep warm in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.

Notes

Make ahead and reheat in a toaster to re-crisp — they hold up beautifully.
Swap almond milk for any milk you have on hand.
Canned roasted green chilies work perfectly here; no need to roast your own.
Keyword cornbread waffles, cornmeal waffles, green chili waffles, savory cornbread waffles