Beans

Here are some Bean Recipes:
How to make “recipe Ready” beans
2/3 cup dried beans to 3 cups of water. Cook in crock-pot on high for 4 hours. Drain and rinse beans. They are now “recipe ready”.
OR
2/3 cup beans with 4 cups water cook in crock-pot on low for 4 hours, turn off and soak for 3-4 hours more. Drain and rinse beans. They are now “recipe ready”.

Note: Smaller beans cook faster than larger beans and elevation can make a difference on how they cook as well.

Black Bean & Cheese Bake
1 ½ cups “recipe ready” black beans
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
3 large flour tortillas sliced into strips
12 oz. salsa
4 oz green chilies, drained
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 9x 13 baking dish with no stick spray. Layer in the following order: tortilla strips, half of black beans, 1 cup cheddar cheese, ¾ cup salsa, tortilla strips. Next, layer 1 cup cheddar cheese, green chilies, ¾ cup salsa. Last. Layer tortillas, remaining black beans and top with1 cup Monterey jack cheese. Cover with foil that has been sprayed with no-stick cooking spray and bake 50 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve with diced fresh tomatoes and sour cream.

Vegetarian Chili
1 ½ cups “recipe ready” garbanzo beans
1 ½ cups “recipe ready” kidney beans
1- 14 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 lg onion, chopped
2-3 tsp chili powder
½ tsp dried oregano

Combine all ingredients into a crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on High for 2-21/2 hours.

Stove-Top Tamale Pie
1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/21 cups “recipe ready” Kidney beans
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 (15 oz) canned corn (drained)
1 (8oz) tomato sauce
2 tsp chili powder (more if you like)
1 package(8 oz) corn muffin mix (and ingredients on the box)
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown meat and onion in a large skillet; Drain excess fat. Stir in beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn and chili powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare corn muffin mix as directed on package. Drop small spoonfuls on batter over meat mixture. Cover. Cook on low heat 15 minutes or until corn bread is cooked through. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover. Cook until cheese is melted.


One-Dish Rosemary Chicken & White Beans
2 tsp olive oil
1 ½ tsp dried rosemary
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
8 skinless and boneless chicken thighs (about 1 lb)
1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 ½ cups “recipe ready” navy beans
¼ cup olives, chopped

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Combine rosemary, salt, and pepper; sprinkle over one side of chicken. Place chicken in pan with seasoned side down, cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat and turn chicken. Add tomatoes and beans, cover and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Top with olives


Quick Bean ‘n’ cheese Enchiladas
2 cups “recipe ready” Pinto Beans
½ cups bottled salsa or picante sauce
8-10 corn tortillas
½ pound cheddar cheese, divided
1 can (20 oz) enchilada sauce
garnish optional: shredded lettuce and sour cream

Mash beans with salsa. Spoon bean mixture down center of each tortilla, diving evenly; Cut half of cheese into 8 sticks. Place one stick of cheese over beans on each tortilla to enclose. Place seam side down in greased shallow baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over all. Grate remaining cheese and sprinkle over sauce. Bake in preheated over, 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Top with lettuce and sour cream.

Lazy Lentil Loaf
1 lb. ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup lentils
1 cup catsup
½ cup saltine crackers crushed, or bread crumbs

add ½ cup dried lentils to 3 cups of water in a medium pot and bring to a full boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain water from lentils. Mix all ingredients together well. Put mixture in bread or loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.