Have Lunch with Me: Open-faced Pintos 'n Cheese

 As a housewife, I like to use up leftovers when I make lunch for myself, and I like making it as yummy, quick, and easy-to-clean up as possible!

Here's my first meal share; I hope you enjoy the inspiration!

Have Lunch with Me: Open-faced Pintos 'n Cheese

Technically, I didn't use leftovers for this; I used stuff I'd need to open for tonight's requested dinner of Chorizo Burritos. So call it an early prep :P

Fresh tortillas

Tortilla toasted over open gas flame

Old El Paso Vegetarian Refried Beans

Refried Beans smeared on toasted tortilla

Old El Paso Mild Enchilada Sauce

Enchilada Sauce covering refried beans

Trader Joe's Garlic Salt Grinder

Old El Paso Original Taco Seasoning

Seasonings sprinkled on

Tostitos Artisan Baked Three Cheese Queso Corn Chips

Tortilla chips crushed (about 3)

Crushed tortilla chips layered ontop

Queso Fresco (fresh cheese)*

Used a fork to "grate" queso fresco

DONE!

Open-faced Pintos and Cheese:
Cheese sprinkled ontop.  Concoction baked on 350° about 12 minutes.  Lifts out well with a spatula.

This was a nice and quick lunch.  I loved that it was vegetarian, warm and light, but filling.  Using the queso fresco instead of a meltier cheese kept it from being greasy and gloppy.   I topped it with a bit of cilantro that I shared with my guinea pigs.

I was inspired by one of my all-time favorite Taco Bell menu items, the Pintos N Cheese.  I live out in the boonies now so it's a bit of a trek to the nearest one...not that I ever went that often for health reasons anyway, so I make my own.  I usually use leftovers from Taco Night and bake it in a bowl, but I decided to try a different way.  Leave a comment below and let me know if you've done something similar!

*Queso fresco, if you haven't seen it before, literally means fresh cheese.  You can make it at home with just milk, salt, and rennet, but it's inexpensive to buy and can be found in most markets.  If you can't find it, try your local latin market.  It has a mild milky taste and I use it in place of Parmesan when I don't mind missing out on the tang or salty flavor that Parm has.