Southwest Cornbread Casserole

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 7-8 servings 

Ingredients

CORNBREAD LAYER:

1/2 C melted butter

1/2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 C buttermilk

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 C flour

1 C cornmeal

1/2 tsp salt

MEAT MIXTURE:

1 pound ground beef (I used 9% fat 91% lean)

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 onion, chopped

5-6 mini bell peppers, chopped

salt and pepper

3 Tb taco seasoning

1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, un-drained

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained

1 C salsa 

2 C Mexican blend cheese

cilantro (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and move the rack to the center of the oven. 

2. In a medium sized mixing bowl beat together 1/2 C melted butter and 1/2 C sugar. Add 2 eggs and beat to combine. 

3. Pour 1 C buttermilk into a glass measuring cup. Add 1/2 tsp baking soda and stir to combine. Add this to the butter and sugar mixture and stir to combine. 

4. In a separate bowl toss together 1 C flour, 1 C cornmeal, and 1/2 tsp salt. Fold it into the wet ingredients. Don't over mix. 

5. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and spread the cornbread batter out evenly into the pan. 

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the top is set and slightly firm. It should be almost baked completely. It's going to go in the oven for another 5 minutes or so with the meat mixture on top, but make sure it's just about done before you move to that stage. 

7. While the cornbread is baking, grab a deep skillet and heat it up over medium high heat. 

8. Add 1 pound ground beef, 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1/2 chopped onion and 5-6 chopped mini bell peppers (I used orange and yellow). Sprinkle with salt, pepper and 3 Tb of taco seasoning. Stir and cook until the beef is cooked through and no longer pink. 

9. To the ground beef mixture add 1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce, 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (un-drained), 1 (15 ounce) can black beans (drained) and 1 C salsa (I used Pace). 

Give it a nice stir, allow it to come to a simmer and let it cook on low for 5 minutes. 

10. Carefully pour the meat mixture over the top of the corn bread. 

11. Sprinkle with 2 C Mexican blend cheese. 

12. Pop it in the oven for 5-8 minutes, or just until the cheese melts. 

13. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro (optional).

from:  Jamie Cooks It Up

Garden Dippers

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 lime
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp cumin
crushed pretzels or nuts (optional)
baby carrots
fresh cilantro leaves
1.  Pour the beans into a blender or food processor.  Squeeze in the juice from the lime and add the spices.
2.  Blend until smooth.  Scoop into small cups and sprinkle the crushed pretzels on top.
3.  Carefully poke a knife or skewer into the top of each carrot and twist to make a small hole. Insert a cilantro leaf into the hole.  Then stick the carrots into the "dirt" leaf-side up.

Note:  Introduced by Kierstin from The Friend magazine.

Cocoa Bean Dip

Strain and rinse well one16 oz can black beans.  Blend until smooth with 1 T water, 1/3 C honey, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 C cocoa powder and 2 tsp coconut oil (optional).

Serve with crackers, pretzels, strawberries, bananas or apples slices for dipping.

Note:  First introduced by Kierstin from The Friend magazine.

Fresh Green Bean Salad with Balsamic Dressing

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

YIELD: SERVES 4-6 AS A SIDE DISH

The desired tenderness of the green beans is a personal preference so check them often while cooking to make sure they don't overcook (or stay too crunchy). Even though the leftovers of this salad don't look quite as appealing (the dressing softens everything up and cold bacon looks a little gnarly), it definitely ranks up there with my favorite leftovers to snatch at lunchtime.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds fresh green beans, ends trimmed if desired
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2-3 lemons)
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 4 ounces feta cheese
• 6-8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Cook green beans until tender, 5-10 minutes. While they cook, prepare a large bowl with an ice water bath. Immediately drain the beans into a colander (or scoop them out with a slotted spoon) and place the drained beans in the ice water for a few minutes to stop the cooking. This will keep them bright green and perfectly tender.
2. Drain the beans and pat them dry. Toss them in a bowl with the tomatoes.
3. For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the green beans and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and chill for at least an hour or up to 3 hours before ready to serve.
4. Stir in the feta cheese and bacon right before serving. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Maria's notes:  Yum!  I was determined that this year I would do something with my green beans besides canning them.  I decided to scour the garden to see if I could find enough to try out this salad, and I did.  I LOVE IT!  Haven't tried it on any of my family yet as it just finished chilling, but I'm willing to eat it all myself.  I think I will keep the bacon separate and just sprinkle it on top of each serving so it stays crisp.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 10 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 6 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder (I use a chipotle chili powder that is quite hot.  I only use 2 tsp.) 
• 4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch cilantro
• juice of 1/2 lime
• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Grated cheddar, for garnish

Directions

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

 

This is YUMMY!  It makes up quickly when you use canned beans or you could use some black beans that you've done yourself!!

from Loriann

 

Mexican Lasagna

from melskitchencafe.com

*Note: this lasagna isn't super heavy on the sauce, just enough to plump up the pasta noodles perfectly and help everything hold their shape (not dry...just not overly saucy). I split all the ingredients (sauce, cheese, noodles) into three layers but feel free to simplify and just halve everything and do two layers only. Less noodles, more sauce. It's up to you. Also, the ingredient list looks long, but it comes together quickly, especially with the no-boil lasagna noodles.

*Serves 6-8

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
dash of ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ cup frozen corn kernels, white or yellow
1 (6 ounce) can olives, chopped
9-12 no-boil lasagna noodles (I love the Barilla brand), or boil and drain regular lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream, light or regular
8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and set aside.

In a large 12-inch skillet, brown the ground beef or turkey and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the grease. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste. Stir to combine well and cook for about a minute. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, oregano and salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Add the black beans, corn and olives. Mix well and heat through, about 5 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer three (or four, depending on the brand of noodles you use) noodles over the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the sauce over the noodles. Dollop 1/3 of the sour cream and 1/3 of the cream cheese (just pinch off chunks and toss them on top) across the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat the layers two more times until all the ingredients are used.

Cover the lasagna with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more, until the lasagna is hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into and serving.

Chicken, Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas

This is adapted from the "Southwestern Egg Rolls" from allrecipes.com. All amounts are approximate.

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (my home canned chicken works great for this)
3-4 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed (1 can of drained, canned corn would work)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-2 T. canned, diced jalapenos
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6-inch flour tortillas

Saute green onions and red bell pepper in small amount of oil for a few minutes. Add remaining ingredients and warm through.

I use a quesadilla maker I got at Target to make them. Spread a little oil on one side of a tortilla. Spread some of the chicken mixture (I just eyeball it) on the unoiled side of the tortilla. Spread on some of the cheese. Oil one side of another tortilla. Place on top of the chicken/cheese (oil side up). Cook until tortillas are lightly browned and the cheese is melted. This takes two minutes in my quesadilla maker.

Serve with Cilantro Cream Sauce.

Creamy White Chili

This recipe is from www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

This is wonderful and easy. A great recipe for canned chicken and canned beans. It would then go together soooo fast!

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips. Makes about 6 servings.

Feijoada (Brazilian Black Beans)

2 T. olive oil
2 C. chopped onions
2 T. chopped garlic
2 bay leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Ham bone
1 C. diced ham pieces
½ lb. black beans (soaked over night apx. 8 hours)
6-7 C. water
Hot Sauce

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add oil. When oil is hot add onions and garlic. Crush bay leaves and add to pan with salt and pepper. Saute about 5 min. Add ham bone, ham, beans, and water. Simmer until the beans are tender about 3 ½ hours. Serve over white rice. I have also made this in the crock pot after I cooked the onions and garlic. It is one of my favorite things to use a left over ham bone.

Taco Soup

2 Cups dry pinto beans

1 C dry black beans

1 C wheat

1/2 lb. ground beef

3 cans tomato soup

8 oz. frozen corn

1 pkg. taco seasoning

Put beans and wheat in a large pot. Add 12 cups of water. Let it soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain water.

Add 16 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil. Cover pot. Reduce heat and simmer for 90 minutes. Drain water.

Cook ground beef and drain grease.

Add all ingredients ( cooked beans & wheat, tomato soup, frozen corn, and taco seasoning) to a large crock pot. ADd 1 1/2 soup cans full of water.

Cook on low 6 hours.

Dan Trimble's Magic Frijoles

I cut out this recipe from our Arizona newspaper a few years ago. We like to eat the beans whole like soup and also mash up others for refried beans. They are a favorite. Warning: They are rather spicy!

5 cups dried pinto beans
3 smoked ham hocks
1 chopped onion
5 pickled gueritos (small white chile peppers)
1/2 T. black pepper
1/2 T. garlic powder
Water
2 tsp. salt

Sort beans to remove rocks and dirt clods. (This is a very important step!) Rinse well. Soak beans overnight in water to cover. Drain, discarding water.

Combine beans, ham hocks, onion, peppers, pepper and garlic powder in a large soup pot. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to boil for 30 minutes, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 3 hours, until beans are tender. Add the salt now. Remove peppers.

For refried beans, mash beans with potato masher and allow to simmer until liquid is reduced and the beans are the desired consistency.

These freeze really well. I often double the recipe and freeze the beans while still whole in individual bags. I then heat the beans and mash for refried beans. They are really yummy.

Bean N' Beef Quesadillas

1 1/2 C chunky salsa
1/4 C minced fresh cilantro
juice from one lime
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 C frozen corn, thawed
2 C julienned cooked roast beef
2 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 flour tortillas (10 inches)
1 to 2 T vegetable oil

In a small bowl, combine the salsa, cilantro and lime juice. In another bowl, combine the beans, corn and 1/2 cup salsa mixutre. Set remaining salsa mixture aside.

Place beef, cheese and bean mixture on half of each tortilla; fold over. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook quesadillas in 1 T oil for 1-2 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted, using additional oil as neded. Cut into wedges. Serve with reserved salsa mixture. 4-6 servings.

Bean Taco Soup

This is a great food storage recipe that is really fast. It freezes well too. Lauren loves to take it to school for lunch.

1 pound chopped chicken, roast beef or ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, with liquid
1 (16 oz.) can white beans, with liquid
1 (16 oz.) can pinto beans, with liquid
1 (16 oz.) can corn, with liquid
2 (16 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes (I use the ones with Mexican seasoning), with liquid
1 package taco mix
1 package Ranch dressing mix

Saute ground beef and onion. Drain. (I use a pint of home-canned chicken and saute the onion in a little oil.) Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil and simmer for 15-20 mionutes. Top with sour cream, tortilla chips and grated cheese.

Baked Beans

1 12 oz can of pork and beans
1/4 C chopped onion
3/4 C ketchup
1 dollop of worcestershire sauce
1 C corn flakes
1/3 C brown sugar
1/4 tsp cloves
2 strips cooked, crumbled bacon

Combine together. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Cherise gave me this recipe.

Crock-Pot Chili

1 lb ground beef
1 C chopped onion
1 C chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (16 oz) cans pinto beans, undrained (or whatever kind you prefer)
1 T chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
Brown ground beef with onion and green pepper. Remove excess grease. Transfer to crock-pot. Add remaining ingredients, stir to blend. Cover and slow cook 7-8 hours.

Cherise gave me this recipe.

Black Bean Salsa*

1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch green onion
1 tomato, chopped
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can corn (drained)
½ cup salsa
½ cup Italian salad dressing
1 avocado, chopped
juice from one lime

As for the cilantro and green onion, I just put in what I think looks right. Some people prefer more, some less.

This has been served at many family get-togethers.