Round the Sphere Again

A full of beans edition. 

You know how to cook them; now how to you use them?

• You could make that old standby, Home Made Pork and Bean (Mennonite girls can cook). I do pork and beans something like this, but I can’t give you my recipe because I just throw stuff in and hope for the best. I don’t use onions, because there are a couple of onion-phobes in the fam; and I’ve never added ginger, but I think I’ll try that next time. I don’t have a bean pot, so I use my slow cooker. 


• One of our family favorites is Slow-Cooked Southwest Chicken, which puts black beans to yummy use. Youngest son doesn’t eat his over rice, but puts it in a bowl and scoops it up with tortilla chips. It’s also good sprinkled with cheese and rolled up in a tortilla. 


• Or if you don’t have time for all that slow cooking, you can make White Bean Puree with Poached Eggs (Serious Eats). This simple dish looks boring, but it certainly doesn’t taste boring. And as a big bonus, it used some of those exquisite farm-fresh eggs taking up all the room in my fridge.

 Do you have a favorite recipe that uses cooked dried beans?

• Kim of Hiraeth shares a recipe for Cowboy Beans in a comment.
  

Comments

[kim from hiraeth]

I'm going to make that SW chicken for dinner tonight!

Here's a good picnic recipe:

COWBOY BEANS

2 15 oz. cans Pork and Beans
1 15 oz. can Brooks Hot Chili beans, drained

¾ c. brown sugar
1 can enchilada sauce
8 strips crisp bacon

Cheese on top

Bake at 450 for 15 minutes, at 375 for 30 minutes.

[rebecca]

I'm going to make that SW chicken for dinner tonight!

Let me know how you like it.

[kim from hiraeth]

We loved the flavor but it was super SOUPY!!! I had to drain it and then put back just some of the broth. It's definitely a keeper! The recipe called for just 1/2 pound of chicken but I used 2 pounds. I also added 6-8 sliced hot jalapenos to kick it up because we like things HOT!

When I stored the leftovers I drained all the broth away and saved about a half cup for warming it up. We'll eat it in tortillas for lunch tomorrow.

[rebecca]

I find it a little soupy until I shred the chicken and then the chicken seems to soak up the liquid. I suppose some it depends on the diced tomatoes and salsa--how much liquid they have. I use fresh salsa rather than canned and that may have less liquid. I do—like you—add extra chicken.

[kim from hiraeth]

We loved it rolled in a tortilla! I had a little in a bowl with crumbled tortilla chips, cheese, and sour creme, too, and it was really good.

That recipe makes a lot! We had a dinner and two lunches out of it!