It takes three ingredients, plus any extra topping that you fancy, 8 minutes in the toaster or oven and you get one of the most comforting foods I have eaten since I can remember: Molletes.
One of the most popular Mexican anytime antojitos or cravings, that can be eaten for breakfast, brunch, lunch, a hearty afternoon snack or dinner. It used to be a standard option for breakfast or dinner at my house growing up in Mexico City, just as quesadillas were. But I also used to crave Molletes from my school cafeteria.
So yes, even if I had some at home in the morning, I would have more for lunch at school…
First, you need the earthy and filling refried beans. You can make your own at home -I make a weekly double batch of beans and use it all week long- or buy ready made at the store. I usually go for Pintos, from photo below, or Black beans.
Secondly, you need crispy bread. In Mexico it is always a bolillo or telera, the Mexican adaptation of the baguette (since times of Maximilian in the 1860’s…). But you can use petite baguettes or cut individual portions from a large baguette. Portuguese buns are similar too.
Slice the breads in half lengthwise and slather 2 to 4 tablespoons of refried beans on each half.
Lastly, add a generous amount of shredded, melting cheese. Something flavorful, but not too overpowering, like Oaxaca, Mozzarella (but not the fresh wet one), Monterey Jack, Light Cheddar or Muenster. In Mexico I would also go for the Chihuahua or Mexican Manchego, but those are hard to come by in the US.
Then in the toaster or oven they go, for about 8 minutes. Until the bread crisps on the outside even more, the earthy beans have heated up and the cheese is oozing on top of it all.
As with most antojitos, they can be messed around with. You can add extra toppings like crumbled bacon, chorizo, turkey or ham.
My boys love to have those choices! It makes them feel empowered in the kitchen, different from one another and like they are fully enforcing their free will on my territory. Which honestly, is more and more theirs, as the years go by. And I just love that, I can’t begin to tell you how much.
In restaurants and coffee shops Molletes are usually served with a side of Pico de Gallo.
Talk about a way to make them even more wholesome and colorful. A healthy mix of ripe tomatoes, a bit of onion, cilantro and fresh chile, all mixed with fresh squeezed lime juice. But sometimes I will serve them along a Salsa Verde or Chipotles in Adobo. Delicious as well.
There is no way not to fall in love with this quick, fun and tasty meal. There’s just… none.
Enjoy!
Grilled Bean and Cheese Heros
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Ingredients
- 4 teleras bolillos, petite baguettes or large baguettes cut into 6" portions
- 2 cups refried beans homemade or store bought
- 2 cups Oaxaca cheese mozzarella or Monterrey jack, grated (any melting cheese of your liking will do)
- Serve with pico de gallo salsa or another salsa of your choice
To Prepare
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Slice the bread in half lengthwise to have 8 pieces. Spread each piece with 3 to 4 tablespoons of refried beans and add 3 to 4 tablespoons of grated cheese on top. Arrange Molletes on a baking sheet as you make them. If you want, add additional toppings like ham, turkey, bacon or chorizo. Sprinkle them on top of the cheese. When they are all assembled, place the baking sheet into the oven.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the bread has a nice toasted crust around the edges. Serve with Pico de Gallo salsa, or a salsa of your choice, on the side or on top.
Comments
66comments inMolletes with Pico: No Way not to Fall in Love
Sheila Kuginski
Feb 13
We have them for a simple, easy dinner. Love them too.
Pati Jinich
Feb 15
Molletes are the best!
Teresa Shields
Dec 28
Thank you for the wonderful recipes. I made Molletes for supper tonight. I used refried black beans. They were delicious!
Pati Jinich
Jan 14
Mmmm, delicious!
Yolanda hammer-Randle.
Feb 27
Thank you for sharing your recipes. I will have to try some of them, my paternal gramma used to cook different
recipes and all her food was delicious. My grandpa had a molino and we would stop after school to eat a fresh tortilla smeared with a little bacon grease. You brought back wonderful memories.
Pati Jinich
Mar 07
And thanks to you for sharing your memories with me Yolanda 😉
Ryan
Sep 05
Love your show! My wife and I finally tried the Molletes and they are amazing!! Super fun and easy to make. Packed with flavors. Your recipes do not disappoint. Everyone must try this recipe!
Pati Jinich
Sep 06
Thanks so much Ryan, I grew up having Molletes with Pico for breakfast so I love to share this recipe 😉
BarrieHurst-Dreyer
Aug 05
So, I just purchased some beautiful Bollilo rolls. They looked so beautiful, I had to see what they tasted like, and I googled Bollilo along with my favorite Mexican chef, Patti Jinich, and this recipe popped up. I’m very excited to try this for dinner tonight. I have some marinated flank steak I plan to add as well as fresh pico de gallo and guacamole! I love all of your recipes! You have helped me step up my game with Mexican cuisine. Thank you for wonderful hours of watching and learning from you on Create TV 🤩
Pati Jinich
Aug 05
Thanks so much for the kind words Barrie, so glad you got your hands on some bolillos, yum! They are perfect for molletes and your idea of adding flank steak is perfect, you can also top them with chorizo, ham, bacon or eggs. Enjoy!
Emily
May 01
Yum. Easy great lunch!
Pati Jinich
May 11
Yes! Or breakfast or dinner 🙂
Carmen
Oct 22
Delicious,Delicious, delicious 😋
Pati Jinich
Oct 22
Thank you, Carmen!
Jennifer
Jan 12
I watched your episode with the molletes and pico de hallo, alphabet soup, and dulce de leche cheesecake. I have three boys, ages 19, 18, and 14…this episode reminded me so much when they were little and we would Cook together. What wonderful family memories to have with your sons. We still have a weekly night of Mexican foods together, and I will make this menu for them. I love your show, Pati!
Pati
Jan 14
Oh say hi to your three boys for me, Jennifer. I hope you guys love the meal.
Stacy
Jan 08
I watched this episode last night and loved seeing you with your sons. The recipes looked great and I have a son and it is a wonderful bond that a mother and son have!
Pati
Jan 08
Oh absolutely…give your son a big hello from me, Stacy.
Christine
Jan 09
I also watched it on the same night that Stacy did (and have seen it before). This recipe looks very easy; I can’t wait to try it. Your boys have grown since this episode with the Molletes; they are all very sweet and good looking, too! Also intrigued by the soup with the browned dry ditalini pasta. I’m going to give that a try as well.
Pati
Jan 09
Thank you for tuning in, Christine! Enjoy the soup and molletes.
Woody Sery
Aug 01
I just wanted to say I just had my family try your Molletes and they went nuts for them they are fantastic you truly are a inspiration to me with all your great food love your show your recipes are fantastic thank you Pati Your Faithful fan
Thank You
Woody Sery
Pati
Aug 01
Thanks for your message, Woody!
Lisa Levy
Jun 06
Hi Pati,
I saw you make Molletes recently, I haven’t seen them since I left CA.
Like all your recipes, this was so good so easy to make and they’ve become my favorite “I don’t want to cook” meal. They are addicting.
I’m a chef and love watching your show. I find myself replicating most of your recipes and I’ve not been disappointed one time. Plus I adore your accent and love laughing at your sons teasing you about your pronunciations…it’s so endearing.
Thank you for some really great meals. I always look forward to seeing what’s next on my menu!
Pati
Jun 08
Hola Lisa, Thank you so much for your note & for watching! Thrilled to hear you like my recipes!!
Rebecca Van Horn
May 11
My husband and watched you making these on our local PBS station last night (5/10/15) and decided we had to try them! Well, we made them tonight and they were absolutely delicious! We’ll definitely have them again!
We so enjoy watching your show! Thank you for sharing such great recipes!
Pati
May 12
Hola Rebecca, Thank you both for watching! I’m so happy to hear you made the molletes!!
Audrey Harwig
Jun 27
These are delicious! We loved them!! Love watching your show too.
Pati
Jun 29
Thank you for watching 🙂
alma
Jun 14
Hello pati just stoped by to thank you for the recipe my daughter loved them they came out deliciouse: )
Pati
Jun 14
So happy to hear, Alma!
Darren
May 11
I first visited Mexico last year but I’ve been cooking Mexican food at home in Australia for some time and have made this dish a few times. At our hotel in Mexico City breakfast was included, a different dish every day, and I was in the kitchen one morning fixing myself a coffee and I noticed a pile of fresh bolillos next to the cook, who was making pico de gallo. I asked him “are we having molletes for breakfast?” and he was super excited that a white guy like me knew and loved this dish 🙂 These are so good!
Pati
May 11
You are making me hungry for breakfast right now and it is almost 9 pm…
DianaQ
Jun 25
¡Qué bruto! Hace tanto tiempo que no como molletes. Creo que debo remediar este triste asunto, jaja. ¡Provecho!
Pati
Jun 25
Provecho!
Jeff
Apr 12
Those sound delicious! I am going to make them.
Pati
Apr 13
YUM
karla
Jan 14
hello 🙂 have any suggestions on how to accompany them? will they be good with a vegetable soup?
Pati
Jan 15
Hi Karla, Thank you for writing! They would be great with a vegetable soup, like tomato, or you could try my zucchini soup with them: http://patijinich.com/pati_2020/2012/11/zucchini_soup_with_tortilla_crisps/.
Missy
Aug 18
Made this yesterday to go with my fresh pico de gallo; it was easy and delicious! Even my picky son loved it! Thanks again! 🙂
Pati Jinich
Aug 18
That is great news! I know how difficult it can be with picky eaters!!
Patrice Castillo
Jun 26
Pati-Thank you for reminding me how delicious these molletes are and so simple! My daughter just married. I will pass this on to her. Do you also make frijoladas,with tortillas folded into the beans with queso freso? mmmm.
Pati Jinich
Jun 28
Thanks for asking Patrice! Here is a link to my recipe for enfrijoladas: http://patijinich.com/pati_2020/2010/04/queso-fresco-enfrijoladas.html
It’s another super simple and really tasty recipe!
Darian Harder
Jun 25
Can you repost this, the link doesn’t work anymore?
Pati
Jun 30
Oh no! http://patijinich.com/pati_2020/recipe/molletes/ See if that works. It did for me =)
Darian Harder
Nov 28
Thanks I got it
Cecelia
May 21
I’m visiting here in California. Just saw your show for the first time and enjoyed it so much. I hope I can find your show when I go back home to Kansas City.
Elaine
Apr 24
We enjoyed these in Oaxaca and have had them for lunch or snacks ever since.
Armando
Apr 18
In other parts of Mexico they call bolillos, francesitos (little french’s). I had never heard the word telera. Thank you for the info and your recipe’s. I’m going to try making mole from scratch for the first time.
Pati Jinich
Apr 18
Of course! You will loooove making the mole. you can refashion it in a thousand ways, with chicken, over enmoladas (like enchiladas but with mole), as a sauce on the side of meat, all mixed up with shredded meat inside of tortas or sandwiches, over eggs… you name it!
Georgina
Apr 16
Pati! I got a response regarding your show in Eastern Canada:
“Thank you for your interest in the programming on WPBS-TV. We will be airing Pati’s Mexican Table on Wednesdays at 1:00 starting May 4th. I hope you enjoy the series.”
Isn’t that great? 🙂 Looking forward to it!
Georgina
Pati Jinich
Apr 18
Hi Georgina,
That is SUCH great news!!! Thank you so much for sharing the news and for requesting it, now I hope that you will like it!!! Send along any cravings that you have ; )
Christian Irabien
Apr 14
mis molletitos:
http://growingupeating.tumblr.com/post/1376127630/from-the-top-moyetes-recipe-black-refried
Pati Jinich
Apr 14
Que bonitos molletitos!
SANDRA ELENA SMITH
Apr 13
I’M MARRY TO AN OK.(I WAS BORN IN MAZATLAN SIN.) I MADE
THEM FOR BREAKFAST AND WE LOVE THEM.
THANK YOU.
SANDRA
Lydia
Apr 12
If you go to La Mexicana, try their torta de carnitas. They also sell teleras.
Vicky
Apr 12
This sounds so good but I don’t like beans. Could I use ground meat as a base instead of beans or does that change it too much into a completely different recipe?
Georgina Collins
Apr 12
Pati!! We love your recipes here in Canada! Can you ask in PBS if we will be able to see your show in Canada? I haven’t found it! 🙁
Pati Jinich
Apr 12
Oh thank you Georgina! Hm.. let me ask… : )
Lydia
Apr 11
Pati, I love them for breakfast. They stick to your ribs. There is a Mexican bakery down on Route 1 (Old Richmond Highway) that makes the perfect bolillos for these. Called La Mexicana, at 2907 Arlington Drive in Alexandria. LL
Pati Jinich
Apr 11
That is so funny! Yes, they stick to your ribs… Thanks for information on La Mexicana, I’ve never been and its not far from me… : )
Randy Badger
Apr 11
Pati: You’ve done it again. Can’t wait to try this and often. Enjoyed watching you & Paula on her show the other day. Anxious make your Crispy Fried Tacos w/Salsa Verde as well as all the other recipes you funny girls cooked up. The summary on her show site also mentioned a recipe for Brisket w/ Pasilla Chile, but didn’t offer the recipe. I’ll search site as well as Food Network’s site. Sounds Yummy! Love your updated site. Keep up the great work, mi amiga!!
Pati Jinich
Apr 11
Hi Randy,
Thanks so much! The recipe for the Brisket with pasilla sauce is on my site! Just look it up under main dishes in recipes.
When I went to visit Paula, we ended up not having time to add this recipe. I am so glad you like the site, I am making some more changes which hopefully will make it a bit better…
Noelle
Apr 11
I made these for my anglo husband and sadly he did not care for them. I think they are easy and filling. So delicious!
Pati Jinich
Apr 11
Aw. Too bad about your husband not liking them. Maybe with the addition of extra toppings and salsa on the side ; )
David
May 28
What about it did he not like about ? I made it and I put it on the grill.
Pati
May 28
Thank you for trying them, David!