Low Fat Refried Bean Wraps

I always have a few cans of refried beans stashed away. They are a great protein source, side dish and if you buy the lowfat version, healthy. I love the nonfat lime chile refried beans but my new favorite is black bean refried beans. I love black beans and I will choose them over pintos or kidneys any day. I also have a favorite recipe for those cans of refried beans. I am still looking for more good ways to use refried beans in recipes. They are a pantry staple. And please don't tell me about the famous refried bean pie. I have heard it is delicious. I am just not brave enough to try it yet and I really am a big fan of fruit pies. So I don't really want to try refried bean pie. On the other hand, I love these roll-ups. I have used them for years as an appetizer for potlucks. I always get requests for the recipe.

Last week I tried them with my new fave black bean refried beans and I ate the whole thing for lunch. It was a tasty low fat meal that was a nice change from my regular lunch diet of salads. You can adapt this recipe from one to six wraps.

I am going to give you the directions for one. It is an easy no-cook recipe that can easily be doubled or tripled.

Flour tortilla

2 TB non fat or low fat black bean refried beans or chile lime refried beans (heated)

2 TB Low fat or non fat sour cream

1-2 TB of salsa

2 tsp chopped olives
1 green onion

1 Tb of shredded cheese (optional)

Layer ingredients in order on top of tortilla. Spread each layer to within an inch of edge. Roll tightly and chill for at least 10 minutes.

For an appetizer roll tightly in plastic wrap and chill at least 1/2 hour. Remove and slice into 2 inch slices. Serve.

Authentic Beef Sopes

Featured Food Storage: Refried beans, canned shredded beef, masa .
Suggested Pantry Item: Masa Harina or Instant Corn Masa Flour. A great item to have on hand for homemade tortillas or sopes.

I have been searching for this recipe or even this item on a menu for the past 14 years. Once, a long time ago,my college roommate's sister-in-law made us these fried masa bowls filled with refried beans and taco toppings called sopes. I was in Mexican food heaven. I have searched every Mexican restaurant I have visited since then for a similar item. Did you realize you could have a craving for longer than a decade? I recently found sopes on the menu at a new restaurant in town and it is possible I drove my husband crazy with my excitement. However, they totally charred my shredded beef. I vowed to find the recipe myself. After an online search I discovered I needed that Masa Harina stuff. I grabbed a bag and lo and behold the recipe was on the back of the bag. Wow! If only I had known. So I rolled up my sleeves and made myself some of these delicious little sopes, that were loved by one and all in my family. I do however intend to leave them a little thicker next time when I roll them out.

For the meat, I actually used leftovers from my sister-in-law's crockpot shredded beef recipe but I fully intended to use the canned shredded beef in my food storage. I just didn't know I would have so many leftovers from the crockpot beef roast. I love the Costco shredded canned beef and that is why this recipe would be perfect to add to your food storage recipe arsenal.

RECIPE for 8 sopes
1 Cup Instant Masa flour
2/3 Cup water
1/8 tsp salt.


1 to 2 Cups shredded beef
1 can of refried beans or 1 1/2 Cups
shredded cheese
shredded lettuce
tomatoes
salsa and sour cream


Combine water, masa, and salt. Mix thoroughly for about two minutes or until a soft dough forms. If dough is too dry add a little more water, a tablespoon at a time. Divide dough into 8 balls and cover with a damp towel. To form tortillas use a tortilla press or, as I did, place balls between two pieces of plastic wrap and press down with a heavy frying pan to form a ball appx. 3" in diameter and about 3/8 inch thick. I accidentally made mine too thin.

Cook each sope for one minute on a preheated ungreased skillet. Turn and cook second side until lightly browned.

Remove from heat and carefully pinch the sides on the first cooked side to form a raised rim about 1/4 inch high. Be careful, sopes are hot. Repeat with each heated sope. Heat 3/4 inch of oil or just toss in the deep fryer and fry sopes until light golden. Drain on a paper towel-lined cookie sheet kept in a warm oven.

Heat beans and spread on sope. Top with shredded meat and toppings.

Tip: Shredded pork or chicken are also great on these.