Black Bean & Pinto Chili

Our favorite easy chili. This only takes 20-30 minutes to get on the table!

From: Is It Soup Yet?

Ingredients:
~1 lb. ground beef
~1/2 cup chopped onion
~1/4 tsp. garlic powder
~1 (15oz.) can black beans, drained
~1 (15oz.) can pinto beans, drained
~1 (28oz.) can diced tomatoes
~1 (6oz.) can tomato paste
~1 and 1/3 cups water
~1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
~1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
~1 tsp. chili powder
*I also add 1 can of white corn and 1 can of mild chili beans to this. I think it adds great flavor and a sweet crunch with the corn.

1. In a large pot, brown the ground beef with the chopped onion.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients and cook for 15 minutes.
3. Serve topped with your choice of shredded cheese, sour cream, or scallions.

Rosemary Chicken & White Bean Stew

We LOVE this stew. I adapted this recipe from the cookbook that came with my crockpot. In the book, it was not the stew, but just the chicken and veggies. If want to make just the chicken and veggies instead of the stew, you would just use less veggies and only 1/2 cup of dressing.

Ingredients:
~2 tbs. oil
~4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
~2 cups carrots, chopped
~2 cups celery, chopped
~2 cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
~1/2 tsp. salt
~1/2 tsp. pepper
~1 tsp. dried rosemary
~1 bottle Italian salad dressing

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil and brown the chicken.
2. Place celery, carrots, and beans in the bottom of the crockpot and add the chicken.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the salt, pepper, rosemary, and Italian dressing and pour over the other ingredients. Stir to combine.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Baked Beans with Swiss Chard

This is more like a bean stew or casserole than what you would think of with a traditional baked bean. Very comfort food-like. I like to add a little grated smoked Gouda cheese on top during the last 10 minutes of baking.

From Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:
1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped (I used 3 carrots and 3 celery stalks and liked the extra veggies)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves chopped
1/2 cup diced smoked turkey or lean ham (I used half a pound of smoked turkey - it added to the stew feel)
15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can navy beans, undrained
2 15oz. cans pinto beans, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
grated smoked Gouda (optional, but highly recommended!)

1. Preheat oven to 375. Heat olive oil in large skillet (I used my soup pot because I ran out of room in my skillet) over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are soft and golden, about 7 minutes.
2. Add chard, turkey, and 1/4 cup water.  Cook, stirring, until chard wilts slightly, about 3 minutes.  Add tomatoes with their juice, increase the heat to medium-high and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
3. Add pinto beans and navy beans with their liquid. Add parsley, thyme, and oregano and return to a simmer.
4. Coarsely mash 1/4 of beans in the skillet with a potato masher or fork to thicken mixture. Season with salt and transfer to a 2-quart baking dish. Cover and bake 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for 10 more minutes.