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Molletes
Open bean and cheese rolls
Toasted bread rolls with refried beans and melted cheese, topped with pico de gallo
Molletes are a favourite cheap breakfast and after-school snack across Mexico, especially in Mexico City cafés: a bolillo (a crusty, oval white roll) split, buttered and toasted, spread with refried beans, covered with cheese and grilled until bubbling, then topped with fresh pico de gallo. They are crunchy, creamy and gooey, and children love them. Use crusty white rolls or short pieces of baguette if you can't get bolillos, and a mild melting cheese made with vegetarian rennet, such as mild cheddar, mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese. Chef's tip: toast the buttered rolls before adding the beans, so the bread stays crisp underneath instead of going soggy.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the molletes
- 4 bolillo rollsor crusty white rolls, split lengthways
- 1 oz buttersoftened
- 10 ½ oz refried beansvegetarian, cooked in oil not lard
- 5 ½ oz mild cheddargrated; or Oaxaca cheese or mozzarella
For the pico de gallo
- 2 tomatoesdiced
- ¼ white onionfinely chopped
- 1 serrano chillifinely chopped; leave out for children
- ⅓ oz fresh corianderchopped
- ½ limejuiced
- ¼ tsp salt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the grill to high. Pull out a little of the soft crumb from 4 bolillo rolls so they sit flat and hold more filling, then spread the cut sides with 1 oz butter.
2 minStep 2: Grill the rolls cut side up for 2–3 minutes until golden at the edges. Watch them: bread goes from golden to burnt in seconds.
3 minStep 3: Spread thickly with 10 ½ oz refried beans (warm them first if they are stiff) and cover with 5 ½ oz mild cheddar.
2 minStep 4: Grill for 3–4 minutes more until the cheese has melted and is bubbling with brown spots.
4 minStep 5: Meanwhile mix 2 tomatoes, ¼ white onion, 1 serrano chilli, ⅓ oz fresh coriander, ½ lime and ¼ tsp salt for the pico de gallo.
3 minStep 6: Spoon the pico de gallo over the hot molletes and serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does molletes take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of mild cheddar?
- Any hard cheese, same amount.
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