New Thanksgiving tradition: Bacon Beans

I tried something new for this year's Thanksgiving feast and it was a big hit, so I thought I'd share with you.  I think these would be great for any meal, any time of the year.  They are SO easy in the crock pot...but the flavor is amazing.

BACON BEANS

Amounts approximate for 3 qt yield

2 lbs of fresh green beans, washed & trimmed

1 lb bacon, cooked & patted dry.  (I used pork for my DH, but I think Turkey bacon or even veg protein bacon (not-bacon) would be lovely.)

1/2-1 tsp chopped garlic

1/2 small onion, chopped (optional)

1/4 c chicken or veg broth

splash lemon juice

Salt & Pepper to taste

Crumble cooked bacon.  Put everything but the lemon juice in a 4 qt crock pot.  Stir to combine.  Set crock on HIGH and walk away for 2 hours.  Stir & check tenderness at 2 hour mark.  If you like tender-crisp they should be done, if you like a softer bean, continue cooking another hour.  S & P to taste.  Add the lemon juice just before serving.

If you have a favorite Thanksgiving recipe this year, please leave it in the comments section, or create a link to your blog.

Baby it's cold outside: Slow-cook Chili

With the chilly fall weather we’ve been having in Chicago, I’ve been doing a lot of crock-pot cooking, specifically: chili. I make different types of chili, depending upon the ingredients I have on hand. I rarely, if ever, purchase something specifically FOR chili; rather, I just pull things out of the pantry and freezer. If I have dry beans on hand, I’ll use those (make sure you sort, soak and rise before using.) However, the majority of the time, I use canned beans.

If you can open a can, you can make homemade chili. It’s that simple, really. Chili is cheap & filling. Make a large vat: it freezes well. I think it’s better the second day, so we always have chili 2 nights in a row.


Slow-cook Chili
**Adjust amounts depending upon the crock-pot or stove-top pot you’ll be cooking in. These amounts are approximate for my 4 qt crock-pot.


1 15 oz can pinto beans or other white bean cannellini (white kidney) are nice too.
1 15 oz can black beans or other dark bean, like red kidney.
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes. Flavored tomatoes are fine, and Rotel would be good.
1 small can diced green chilies (optional)
1/2 t. chopped garlic
1 small or medium sized onion, chopped

½ lb ground meat. We have tried beef, chicken, pork, pork sausage and soy chorizo.
Salt & pepper to taste
Chili powder to taste (could substitute paprika + red chili flakes + extra cumin.)
Ground cumin to taste (this gives it a smokey flavor.)

I make this in the crock-pot, but you could make it in a heavy pot on the stove too. I don’t brown the meat at all, I literally throw everything but the spices in the pot, turn on low, and walk away for 3-4 hours. If it cooks down too much, add some more beans or tomatoes, depending on whether you like a thicker or thinner chili. About ½ hour before serving, add your spices to taste. Remember that if you use red chili flakes, the longer you cook with the flakes in, the hotter your chili will be, due to the oil in the flakes (source of heat.) Feel free to use one of those chili seasoning packets, if you don’t like to mess around with spices “to taste.” If I have room in the pot, and corn in the freezer, I add some frozen corn in the last 1/2 hour.

We serve chili with grated cheddar cheese on top. Sometimes with a bit of sour cream and tortilla chips on the side. I also like extra green chilies on mine.
Enjoy & have a great weekend!

Foodie Friday: Applesauce

 

I tend to say "too many apples, too little time" this time of year.  I make applesauce and pies.  I LOVE making pies.  I'll post my carmel apple pie recipe soon, promise.  But today I want to share something so easy it's pathetic.  Once I started making sauce I could not believe I had been purchasing it for too many years.  Sam likes chunky sauce and so do we.  We also like tart sauce, but you can make it sweet; just adjust the apples you use and/or

add brown sugar (which I find superior for apples over white sugar.)
Apple sauce can be made on top of the stove or in your crock pot.  I prefer the crock because I don't have to stir and just load it up at night and have sauce in the morning.  I usually do this on a Friday night so I can cool and store the sauce Saturday morning (wouldn't be able to do this on a weekday.)  This year, instead of just quart freezer containers (sauce is good for up to a year in the freezer) I'm doing 4 oz containers as well, because that's perfect Sammy and/or snack size.

EASY-PEASY HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE
Choose the apples to your taste.  I use a mix of Gala & Granny Smith.  But Fuji, Red Delicious and Pink Lady make great sauce as well.
Peel, core & slice enough apples to come almost all the way up in your pot or crock.
Add enough water to prevent sticking.  In my 4 qt crock, this is just about 1/4 c. You have to watch and add more water if you are using the stove top method, but just cover and walk away if you are using your crock pot.
*Cover and set crock on low for up to 7 hours, or on high for 2-3, until apples are smooshy OR
*Cook in a heavy pot on the stove (cover on) on low-medium for 2-4 hours, stirring and adding more water as needed.
When apples are smooshy, you can stir & smash for chunky sauce, or cool and put in the blender for smooth sauce.  Add cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg or whatever combo you like, to taste.  Add brown sugar in SMALL amounts if you desire a sweeter sauce. 
I promise you'll love this sauce more than anything you purchase at the store AND you'll save money.  Right now you can usually get a 10lb bag of apples for $10... I made 2 batches in my 4 qt crock, using approx 9 lbs of apples, which yielded about 6 1/2-7 qts of finished sauce.

If you want that fancy-schmancy sauce w/ additional fruits, add those (thawed frozen or fresh) in the last 1 hr of cooking.  Peaches and pears are particularly good.
ENJOY!