Cinco de Mayo is fast approaching, and while this holiday celebrates the Mexican Army’s victory at the Battle of Puebla, not Mexico’s independence as many people commonly believe, that does not mean you cannot celebrate with some delicious Mexican food! If you are looking for something different from tacos and enchiladas, consider this easy-to-make recipe for molletes (pronounced mo-yeh-tehs).

This Mexican bean and cheese sandwich makes for a delicious breakfast or even a light lunch. You can even top it with a fried egg! The traditional recipe calls for bolillo, a crusty white bread from Mexico, but I use French bread instead as it is more readily available.

Molletes

Makes 6 open-face sandwiches

1 loaf of French bread

Refried black beans, either canned or homemade

Oaxaca cheese (or mozzarella if you cannot find Oaxaca)

Salsa roja or salsa verde, for serving (click here for some delicious homemade salsa recipes)

Set your broiler to high. Cut your baguette into thirds, and then split each piece of bread in half. Place the slices on a baking sheet, cut side up. Spread about ½ cup of beans on each piece of bread, and then place in the oven to broil for about 2 minutes. Top with Oaxaca cheese and then return to the broiler for another 2 minutes, or until cheese is nicely melted.

Serve immediately with your favorite salsa.