Big thanks to Libby’s for sponsoring today’s post.

I’m starting to sound like a broken record this month, but I really love how the food around the holidays reminds me of loved ones and years past. It’s definitely the time of year that I turn to beloved family recipes the most.

Nate’s Gram Maynard didn’t cook much, but she had a few signature recipes that were pretty much perfect. Like potato salad – it was simple, reliable and perfectly flavored. And her homemade hot fudge was to die for. Another one of her recipes that we loved was her marinated 4-bean salad. It appeared at every family gathering and, even though Gram is no longer with us, the bean salad is always still on the table when we all get together. Just seeing that bowl of beans instantly reminds me of Gram.

Thankfully we have the recipe and can recreate the magic whenever we want. I love this 4-bean salad because it is beyond easy to throw together, has just the right amount of sweetness and goes with pretty much anything. Plus, for our family, every bite reminds us of Gram, which is especially welcome around the holidays.

Gram's Marinated 4-Bean Salad

 

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Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups canned wax beans
• 1¼ cup canned green beans
• 1 cup canned kidney beans
• ¾ cup canned chickpeas
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced into rings
• ½ cup chopped green pepper
• ⅔ cup vinegar
• ½ cup canola oil
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Drain al lof the canned beans
2. In a large bowl combine the wax beans, green beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, onions and green peppers together.
3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour over the bean mixture.
4. Stir, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
5. Drain before serving.

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Over the years I have been lucky enough to have several close friends who are Mexican and they have all introduced me to various wonderful foods. Those friends are all also really good at cooking beans. And, for whatever reason, no matter how many times they have told me how to cook beans and assured me that it’s easy, I had a mental block. Every time I would go to cook a bag of dried beans, I would freeze. Seriously, total mental block. I just could never remember exactly how to do it and felt dumb always asking “one more time” how to cook beans!

Well, I have finally broken down my bean barriers. One of my neighbors is Mexican and I finally just sucked up my pride and asked her (multiple times) how to cook dried beans. And then I actually did it. I cooked beans! And, surprise surprise, they were easy to make and mighty delicious!

For real, it’s easy. You’ll need to be home for a few hours to check on them occasionally while they cook, but that is seriously the hardest part of the recipe. I like to cook a big pot of beans at one time and then freeze the leftovers into 2-cup containers. The beans are easy to defrost and I love having them on hand. And they really do taste better than canned beans.

How to Cook Dried Beans

 

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Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• Bag of dried beans (Black, pinto, peruan, whatever variety you like! Peruan is the variety you see in these photos.)
• Water
• Big pot
• ¼ of an onion
• Salt

Instructions

1. Ari (my neighbor) will sometimes soak the beans overnight, but it's not necessary. If you forget, no worries!
2. Place the beans in a big pot (I use my french oven). Add water to cover the beans (if you soaked the beans prior, drain that water and add new water to the pot). Place ¼ of an onion (large pieces is fine) in the pot along with some salt (maybe about a teaspoon or so). Bring to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat, then cook over medium-low to medium heat for 2-3 hours (longer if you didn't soak the beans before hand). Stir the beans occasionally throughout the entire cooking process. You may need to add more water at some point if the water is running low but the beans are still not cooked through. The beans are done when they are soft and yummy!
3. Remove the onion and add more salt if needed. If you want them to be more like refried beans, just mash them up a bit!

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The recipe I’m about to give you is dangerously delicious. If you like baked beans, you’ll LOVE these. I made them for the 4th of July and they were a hit, even with my most-of-the-time-vegetarian friend. Thanks to my mom’s sisters who introduced me to this baked beans recipe to begin with. I have no idea where they originally got it from, perhaps I should do some digging. Wait. I’m rambling. Enjoy the beans!

Best Baked Beans

 

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Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Side Dish, Beans

Ingredients

• 2 large cans baked beans (~3 lb 5 oz total)
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup ketchup
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• ½ pound bacon, chopped
• 2 rings pineapple (or one small can pineapple chunks, broken apart with your fingers)

Instructions

1. Sauté the onion and green pepper over medium heat until starting to get soft. Add the bacon and sauté until bacon is cooked through. Drain grease.
2. While the onion and pepper are doing their thing, mix together the beans, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard and pineapple. When the sautéd stuff is done, add it to the bean mixture. Bake in a 300-degree oven or in a crockpot on high for 2-3 hours. (I got a late start when I made these, so I baked at 350 for about 1 hour and they came out fine.)

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Today I’ve got a quick, tasty meal idea for you, thanks to my dear friend Angie who shared this non-recipe-recipe with me recently. It’s her go-to meal and it’s a winner!

In honor of The Pioneer Woman giveaway we’ve got going this week, I did this post Ree style, photographing every step of the cooking process. Thought it would be funny to finally do that with the easiest recipe on my site. Funny, right? A-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Easy Peasy Bean Tacos

 

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Easy to make and delicious to eat!

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

• Flour or corn tortillas, smaller size
• Shredded cheese
• Can of refried beans
• Toppings you like on tacos”¦tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, etc.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven broiler. Heat up the can of beans in a saucepan.
2. Place the tortillas on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle some cheese on half of the tortilla (you can also heat them up on the stove, whichever you prefer).
3. Pop the tray in the oven, broil until the cheese melts. This is seriously the hardest step of the process. You still with me?
4. Schmear on the beans.
5. Add your favorite taco toppings.
6. Fold. Eat. Enjoy.

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We really liked these tacos, and I loved how simple they were to make. But I’ve gotta say, I think a few grilled peppers and onions would give the tacos nice flavor and crunch…but yeah, that involves chopping stuff AND dirtying another pan. So don’t worry too much about it. These are Easy Peasy Bean Tacos, after all.

Chili was one of the first things I learned how to cook without a recipe, so it holds a fond place in my heart. Over the years how I make chili has evolved and the great part is that it was delicious no matter what form it took! It’s one of my favorite go-to meals and my kids love it, so chili is therefore one of my favorites, too! 😉

As much as I love my chili (recipe below!), chili is one of those dishes I know people have recipes they are proud of and want to share. So I think it’s time for a chili cook off, don’t you? Call for Recipes posts are my favorite and I can’t wait to see what you guys have to share in the chili department. 

My recipe is not fancy, but it’s good, easy and flexible. And you can use whatever you have lying around. For you chili diehards out there…yes, I’m breaking all kinds of rules. (Beans! Quel horreur!) So, be nice. This is a FRIENDLY chili cook-off…anything goes, there are no rules!

Chili

 

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Measurements are approximate, this recipe is easy going.

Author: Jane Maynard, inspired by MIL Pat Maynard

Ingredients

• About ⅓ of an onion, chopped
• Bell pepper (about half of one”¦red tastes better, but green offers a nice color contrast”¦you choose!)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped or minced”¦if you don’t have fresh garlic, just sprinkle some garlic powder
• ~3/4 lb ground beef (you can easily make this vegetarian by cutting the ground beef and adding an extra can of beans!)
• 1 can kidney beans (14 oz size)
• 1 can of chili beans (usually a mix of black, pinto and white) - I used to do 1 can of baked beans, but now I usually do the chili beans instead)
• 2 cans petite diced tomatoes
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (or salsa/pasta sauce lying around in the fridge)
• ~2 tablespoons chili powder
• ~1/2 – 1 teaspoon cumin
• ~1/2 - 1 teaspoon paprika
• a few shakes of cayenne on the days I want some heat (red pepper flakes and hot sauce also work)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Saute the onion and bell pepper in a about a tablespoon of oil over medium heat until onions are turning clear and vegetables have softened.
2. Add the garlic and ground beef. Sprinkle everything with some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring regularly to break up the meat, until ground beef is browned and cooked through. Drain off fat.
3. Add everything else, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and let cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Serve with shredded cheese, corn chips, corn bread, sour cream, whatever you like!

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Click here to see a dedicated blog post about this recipe, with adaptations and notes on the recipe provided.