Recipe #46, 47, 48: Beans, Bread, and Chili

Recipe: Beans
Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Time: 2 hours
Ease: 1
Taste: 4
Leftover Value: 2
Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Down the Drain!

Beans aren't my favorite.  I certainly wish they were because I know they are incredibly good for you.

Even more so, I wish these beans had been as delicious as she set them up to be, because they are so simple to make.  Even Hubby, a bean lover, said that these beans were just okay.  The wait time for them to cook for the flavor acquired made it seem insane not to just crack open a can of beans instead.

 

I did not appropriately judge the size pot needed and about half way through cooking I had to switch over to a different one. 

That made me grunt and groan.

I had hoped that the pieces of bacon cooked with the beans would make the flavor amazing, but the lack of other ingredients tipped me off that I wouldn't be too impressed.  Other than the beans and bacon, we have salt and pepper added at the end.

These beans are bare bones basics, folks.  And it shows.

 
Recipe: Cornbread
Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Time: 35 minutes
Ease: 3
Taste: 2
Leftover Value: 1
Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Down the Drain!

Flavorless cornbread makes me sad.

This is only because I have tasted and made cornbread full of flavor and moisture that is so perfect I almost forget about my bowl of chili that sits beside it.

Almost.

I had high hopes for this cornbread, especially since I didn't have any hopes for the beans.  I expected the beans to be lousy.  I reasoned that the cornbread would make up for this.

 

Even though it looks great, this cornbread was bland and boring.  The texture was great, but the flavor was lacking--greatly.

 

Recipe: Simple, Perfect Chili
Source: The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Time: 1 hr 20 min
Ease: 2
Taste: 8
Leftover Value: 7
Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Keep it in the Strainer!

I've made this chili before and it is probably my favorite chili recipe because, in the book at least, she does not demand beans in it.  The linked recipe is from the Food Network, and is a little different than in the book.  In the book, she lists different things that can be mixed in with the chili, but doesn't require it.

Chili that does not require beans is simply perfect chili to me.   

If I'm being completely honest, I don't totally hate beans in chili.  I only hate the super huge kidney beans that are often used in chili.  They bother me just a little.

 

I find that before the hour of time that the chili simmers, it becomes pretty dry and needs some water added to it.  This isn't always the case, but it is often the case.

A little corn flour mixed with water is the secret to the texture of this chili.  It is added a few minutes before the chili is  done to thicken it up a little. 

 

 

Instead of beans, I take PW's suggestion to add diced tomatoes with green chiles.  These are sometimes difficult to find in the grocery store.  Make sure you go to the international aisle and not the regular canned tomato section.

Here is why I especially love this chili.  While you can certainly cozy up with a bowlful of it and a hunk of (good) cornbread, you can also eat it with fritos, scatter it on top of french fries, of use it to make the best nachos ever.

 

'Blah' Baked Corn Mash

Recipe: Baked Corn Mash

Source: The Orange Strainer

Time: 45 minutes total

Ease: 2

Taste: 3

Leftover Value: 2

Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Down the Drain!

I gave myself a longer break than normal from posting.  I have my reasons.  After a few unsuccessful recipes, I didn't have the heart to post about my failures right away.  This recipe is one that works great when you follow the original recipe and cook it in a slow cooker, however, my rendition was just blah.  And yes, I have dubbed 'blah' to be a new cooking term.  In fact, in my recipe books, when I don't like a recipe I write 'blah' next to it.

I'm not kidding.  I seriously do that.

Here's what you need**:

1 can creamed corn
1 can frozen corn*
1 cup corn meal*
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sugar*
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder

**Now, I know you're thinking, 'This recipe was a complete flop, why give the recipe?'.  What I want to make very clear is that this is an awesome recipe when you change three of the ingredients and throw it all into a slow cooker on low for 3 hours.  I've made it for Thanksgiving for the past two or three years and it's a hit.

So, if after reading this post, you think you'll be more successful with the slow cooker just change the items with a * to:

1 quart frozen corn
1 box (8.5 oz) corn muffin mix
2 Tbsp sugar

Now, back to the 'blah' recipe...

Start with a can of creamed corn.  I never tasted the uniqueness that is creamed corn before going with my husband.  And when I had it, I couldn't understand why anyone would want to eat corn like that.  But, it definitely works great in a recipe like this one.  The original recipe calls for a quart of creamed corn, but I never put that much in.  It is too much wet ingredient for me.

Because I was baking this, and had chosen a smaller baking dish, I used less frozen corn than normal.  Normally I will fill the creamed corn can twice.  For this recipe, I filled it once.  However, I'm positive this is not what lead to this recipe's downfall.

Toss in the frozen corn.

This is, I'm sure, what lead to the lack of flavor in my corn mash.  I used a cup of corn meal rather than a box of cornbread mix because, well, I didn't have any cornbread mix.  I realize they are two totally separate things, however, how would I really know if I didn't try?  

Pour the milk all over.

Beat the egg in a separate bowl and then pour all over.

Lightly mix the ingredients together.

Sprinkle the seasonings all over and lightly mix them in.

Top with the butter.

And bake for 45 minutes or longer.

Here is what I have to say in favor of this recipe.  If you, yourself, and yours like a good bland cornbread, this is actually pretty good.  But, if you like something that has a flair of cornbread, but is not dry and bready like cornbread, then make this in the slow cooker with the adjustments at the top and you will not be disappointed.

P.S.  Make it for Thanksgiving along with my slow cooker mac and cheese and everyone will think you've worked so hard all day long.  They'll give you just as much credit as the turkey cooker.  Then you'll smile to yourself thinking about how easy it was to make.

And feel just a little bad that you weren't the one making the turkey.