Pot o' Beans

2 # dried pinto beans

Rinse + add to large crock. Fill pot 1-2" from the top.

Then add:

1 T onion pwd

1 t garlic pwd

1/2 t black pepper

1/4 t ground chili pwd

2 t salt

2-4 t olive oil

Stir. Place lid on the crock, cook low all night until dinner next day

OR High at least 8 hours. (slow and low is yummier).

Then blend with mixer until creamy if desired.

split pea soup

*more about this recipe here*

Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic, minced, 2 stalks celery, chopped, 1 3/4 cups dried split peas, 1 bay leaf, 2 carrots, chopped, 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed, 1 onion, chopped, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cans chicken broth, 2 ounces diced ham, 2 teaspoons dried chervil, salt and pepper to taste.

1. Saute the garlic, onion and celery in olive oil for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add peas, broth, bay leaf and ham. Cook on low heat 3-4 hours until peas are soft.

2. Once the peas are soft, stir in the potatoes, carrots and chervil and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add water as needed to adjust the thickness of the soup.

Original recipe here.

Chicken Enchilada casserole
3 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 package taco seasoning
2 cups salsa Verde
9 fajita size flour tortillas
1 can re fired beans, warmed in micro
8 oz sour cream
3 cups shredded cheese

I put 3 chicken breast in crock pot with 1/4 cup salsa, a can of mexi tomatoes, and a small can of green chilies and let cook on high a few hours until chicken was done. ( I didn't have salsa Verde...so I improvised).
Then I put two tortillas (I only had large ones...) in the pan and put have the chicken mix on top (I shredded chicken and put it back in crock and mixed it all together). The I covered with two more tortillas. Then I mixed beans and cottage cheese (Yup you guessed it... no sour cream...) together and then spread that on top of the tortillas, then add about a cup of cheese. Then two more tortilla's then the rest of the chicken mix on top and then another cup of cheese (If your keeping track ... that's only 2 cups of cheese... I didn't have 3). Then bake at 350 for 25 min., until bubbly.

This was really good and very easy. I will make it again... but I will try to use more of the original ingredients... but my throw together one was yummy too!
.....

P.S. Original Recipe is in Mays Family Circle page 206 (this issue has TONS of meals in it and we will be trying more)
Original Recipe
Chicken enchilada Casserole
3 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups salsa verde
9 fajita size flour tortillas
1 can re fried beans, warmed in microwave
8 oz sour cream
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1- Heat oven to 350. Mix chicken, taco seasoning, 1/2 cup water and salsa verde in a skillet. Simmer on medium heat for 10 min.

2- Coat 13x9x2 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cover bottom of pan with 3 flour tortillas, overlapping. Pour half of the chicken mixture on the tortillas. Cover with 3 more tortillas. Spread with warmed beans and the sour cream.

3- Sprinkle half the cheese over the beans and sour cream, and cover with the remaining 3 tortillas. Top with remaining chicken mixture, followed by remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 to 28 minutes, until bubbly.

Black Bean and Veggie Wraparitos
Serves 6

6 whole wheat tortillas
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 16 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Salsa (your favorite kind)

Heat tortillas and keep warm.
Using a little cooking spray, spray a skillet and saute the onion and mushrooms until tender. Add beans and heat through. Add spinach and remove from heat.
Divide mixture evenly among the tortillas and sprinkle with cheese. Fold up like a burrito and serve with salsa.
YUM!

**Recipe from a yahoo group**

Taco Soup
1 pound ground meat (I used hamburger)
1 can red beans, kidney beans, black beans
1 can mexican tomatoes
2 can low sodium v-8 juice
1 onion
16 oz of corn (frozen or canned)
1 tsp garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, parsley
Tortilla chips
Sour cream
Cheddar cheese

Cook meat mix in spices with cooking meat. Put everything in the insert and cook until hot.
To serve: put chips around out side of bowl, pour soup in center, top with sour cream and cheese (unless your like me then leave the last two off ;)
A good fast meal for getting to church on time! :)

Yum!

Crock-Pot Chicken With Black beans and Cream Cheese

4-5 frozen boneless chicken breasts
1 can black beans (15 1/2 oz)
1 can corn (15 oz)
1 jar salsa, any kind (15 oz)
1 package cream cheese (8 oz)

1. Take 4-5 frozen, yes, frozen, boneless chicken breasts put into crock-pot.

2. Add 1 can of black beans, drained, 1 jar of salsa, 1 can of corn, drained.

3. Keep in crock-pot on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked.

4. Add 1 package of cram cheese (just throw it on top!) and let sit for about 1/2 hour.

5 Done and enjoy.

(I found this on the Internet somewhere and didn't think to keep track of where... so who ever invented this YUM! Thanks.)

**Served with rice... very yummy must do again!)

Cornbread Chili Pie
1 lb. hamburger (cooked)
1 can Chili
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup Albers Yellow Corn Meal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sucanat
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg

Mix fully cooked hamburger and chili together, pour into 9X13 pan. Sprinkle 1 cup grated cheese on top.
Combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Combine milk, oil and egg in small bowl and mix well. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stir just until blended.
Pour Cornbread mixture on top of chili mixture, spread evenly.
Bake 400F for 20 minutes or until wooden tooth pick inserted in cornbread center comes out clean.
Papa Verdict: Good
Kid Verdict: Mixed: Roo loved it (it had beans so of course he would), JC ate his but really wanted more donuts (sigh), and Meme... wouldn't even put it in his mouth.
Mama Verdict: Ok, but I really thought it would be moister. Needs to be cooked in a much smaller pan so that cornbread covers all the beans. WW flour worked just fine in cornbread mix.