Beef and Bean Chili

This recipe is a concoction of stuff I had around the house and in food storage. I am trying to stretch our food budget and our food. This recipe includes leftovers from a previous freezer meal for Beef Burritos. This seemed like a great alternative to extend our food. The meat from the burritos stretched from burritos, to quesadillas and now to chili. All from one pot and one freezer bag. Three meals! I find that amazing. Talk about stretching a dollar. :) I may even be able to stretch this to one other meal. That would make four meals from one freezer meal! I'm thinking since this makes a TON of chili. You can reuse leftover chili from anything such as chili cheese dogs, to cornbread chili, and chili burgers. The list can go on and on. You could even make it into a cheese dip for chips. MMM my mouth is salivating thinking of all these possibilities. I digress... Well, here is the recipe for tonights chili. I hope you enjoy it. I know we will.

Ingredients:
2 cups leftover burrito beef (or other leftover meat)
2 cans corn (do not drain)
2 cans white beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can black beans, low sodium (drained and rinsed)
1 can chili beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies
1-2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp beef buillion
4-6 dashes of liquid smoke
2 tsp cilantro
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp onion salt

Add all ingredients in slow cooker. Stir gently, not smashing the beans.  Set on low and cook until heated through or let simmer all day for a full blended flavor. I have mine set on low for 8 hours.

Serve with sour cream and cheese, tortilla chips or corn bread.

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad

I am sorry I thought I took a picture of this beautifully, yummy salad, but I didn't. :(  I know how sad. Well. When I make it again I will take a picture of it and post it. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. :) I brought this dish to our Cub Scout Blue and Gold banquet this tuesday. It was a real hit! Super easy to make, just lots of chopping fresh ingredients. But this is a delicious salad. Totally worth the time chopping veggies. Enjoy!

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad

2 – 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

4 ears of fresh corn, cooked, and kernals cut off the cob

2 peppers – 1 yellow bell pepper and 1 orange bell pepper

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 Tbsp minced shallots (1 Medium shallot)

2 tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1-2 Tbsp stevia (optional)

3 passes around the bowl with olive oil

2 limes (The juice of 2 limes)

zest from 1 of the limes

½ cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish (can substitute cilantro)

2 – medium avacado’s diced

1 cucumber, peeled and diced (if using English cucumbers leave peel on)

4 roma tomatoes, diced

1 bunch of green onion stalks (dice the green off the tops of 1 bunch of green onions)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl except the avacado. Cover and chill for a few hours or over night. Right before serving add the avacados and mix gently. *Do not mash the avacados. Garnish with a few sprigs of chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 8-10 people generously

Green chili, black bean, bacon cheese burger

Tonights dinner was hamburgers. I didn't want just regular hamburgers, I didn't have many vegetables since I we are running a little low until pay day. I read a stuffed burger recipe that used green chili's and onions. I thought this was a great idea.  Hidden veggies! I'm all about that! Again using what I have on hand to create a dinner that is healthy and that my kids will eat. Tricky, tricky, tricky. Next to the whole wheat homemade buns, I thought this would be a delicious addition.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb ground beef 85/15
1-4oz can of green chili's drained
1 pkg beefy onion lipton soup
1/2 a can of black bean refried beans
4-5 dashes of Frank's Red Hot pepper sauce
salt and pepper to taste
cheese slices
 bacon slices - browned

Directions
Mix the ground beef, green chili's, lipton soup, refried beans and Red hot pepper sauce. Don't over mix as it can make the the burgers tough. Heat a non stick skillet on med-high heat.

Form into meat patties. Once formed, place burgers in hot skillet, browning on each side approx. 3 minutes each side.

Should not move until ready to flip to create a nice crust. After flipped add cheese slices to melt while the other side cooks. 

Once the burgers are browned with cheese on top. Place bacon on burger and on bun of choice. Top with lettuce, tomato, onion and any other toppings desired.

This is a pretty yummy burger. All of my children ate their burger without complaint. It was full of nutrients and very tasty. As far as I'm concerned is that it's pretty healthy.

Dehydrated Red Bean Refried Beans

Ok, so I know there is another recipe on here for refried beans. But today I made them a little different. I decided to try and make refried beans from dehydrated red beans today. I know your thinking what the heck is that... well, they are part of my food storage. They are considered quick cooking red beans. They were previously cooked, then dehydrated. They have a great shelf life, and are very easy to cook with, i recommend these instead of the dry beans that take FOREVER to cook, between soaking overnight and cooking a long time. These dry beans are a great alternative. So, I again have no refried beans for taco night. We've been really trying to get creative here at home. Trying to see how long until we go to the store again, living off what abundance we already have. So, I have created this new recipe. I hope you enjoy. This is where you can purchase Dehydrated Red Beans.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp bacon grease

2 tsp minced garlic

1 can black beans

3 cups dehydrated red beans

6 cups of water

Directions:

Place water in a pot to boil. Once water is boiling, add the dehydrated red beans. Bring back to a boil. keep at a light boil on medium heat. boil for 20 min. stirring periodically. about 10 min into it, add the drained and rinsed can of black beans. stir and continue to boil. If there is any excess water, drain most of the water from the beans. Then, place back on to medium heat. add the garlic and bacon grease. Mash with potato masher. and let cook down.

I had enough for two meals, so I took about half out and put in a container in the fridge for later this week. Then I am adding it to our Taco meat for taco night. Smells yummy and tastes yummy too. Enjoy :)