These seasoned beans from a can need only a skillet and cornbread to become dinner. The spice is right there in the sauce, so you spend five minutes in the pan and the rest warming bread. Serve with cornbread to soak up every drop.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 800 calories a serving, 24 g protein, 112 g carbohydrate, 28 g fat. From USDA figures for 89% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Dice 1 small onion and add it to the pan; cook for 3 minutes until it softens. Pour in 1 can of the pinto chili beans and stir; lower the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes while you make the cornbread batter. The cue is the beans bubbling at the edges.8 min
2. While the beans cook, preheat the oven to 400°F [200°C]. Whisk together 1 cup flour, 2/3 cup cornmeal, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat 1 egg with 3/4 cup milk, then add 2 tablespoons melted butter and stir into the dry mix until just combined; do not overmix.
3. Pour the batter into a buttered 8-inch cast-iron skillet or cake pan and set it in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; the cornbread should be golden and spring back when touched.15 min
4. Taste the beans and adjust the salt if needed. Divide them into two bowls and serve with a wedge of cornbread on the side.

Note Leftovers keep in the fridge for two days; reheat the beans gently on the stovetop. Cornbread is good cold the next day with butter. Serve with a simple green salad or coleslaw to round out the meal if you have time.