Yep, that’s right…another chance to win one of these uber-cool clay pots for cooking dried beans from Hurst Beans!

The past few weeks, Ohio has been experiencing some very hormonal weather, complete with hot flashes, cold flashes and a some cranky rain too. Very unusual for January…and it has been a bit confusing for us. When we were out at the park in short sleeved shirts last week (high hit 63!), the kids were insisting that summer had begin. Persistent and insistent.

I had to give them the unfortunate news that summer was not here, that snow was coming, and that likely the snow would be hitting hard! Kinda like a late winter slap in the face. Time shall tell…

I’ve been confused also in the kitchen on what to prepare for our meals…when it’s 63 and sunny…and we’re wearing short sleeves, all I want to do is whip up a quick pasta salad with all my favorite spring and summer veggies. Then the next day it’s high of 27 and all I want is a bowl of warm, comfort food.

Which brings us too…

these Boston Baked Beans. I could so go for a big bowl of these right about now. Warm. Cozy. Comfort food.

I so wish I had a spoon with magical powers that would let me just take a few bites right through the computer screen.

A few helpful bean resources -

• How to Cook Dried Beans
• Rice and Beans Budget Recipes

Here are the details on this giveaway…

Contest Details

1. Contest ends on Wednesday, February 29th (leap year!) at 5 pm EST. Winners will be announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions.

• Entry #1: Leave a comment below and tell me which one of the Hurst Beans recipes you’ll be adding to a future meal plan!
• Entry #2: Like Hurst Beans on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
• Entry #3: Sign up for free email updates, or RSS posts from $5 Dinners.

5. Winner will be selected by Random.org.

**NOTE: If you receive the email newsletter and wish to enter this giveaway, click on the title of this giveaway to get to the site and leave a comment on the site with your name and email address to be entered!

*Disclosure: This giveaway is part of the Hurst beans campaign. I am receiving compensation as part of the campaign. More yummy recipes and 1 more giveaway coming later in the month

Y’all know me. Always stretching our food as far as I can, with as little fuss as possible.

I love adding beans to recipes…to stretch the protein and the fill up the bottomless pits that I have been tasked with feeding. My boys love beans…love them! As young toddlers, they would snack on beans. Straight up beans…no nothing. Ryan went through a “no thank you” phase with beans, but he’s pulling out of that. I think adding them into meals with other favorite flavors of his (like this one with the sloppy joe sauce!) has helped him rediscover that beans aren’t so terrible.”

For these “Slopp-Beany Joes,” I used the Hurst Navy Beans with ham flavor (they have a great recipe on their site that uses the 15 Bean Soup mix). And I also decided to “slow cooker-ify” the recipe. Because I’ve been totally dependent on my slow cooker as of late.  Because it’s winter. And because my weekday afternoon schedule has been erratic (swim lessons, business calls, new project, etc.), and I need to know that I don’t have to worry about fixing dinner coming 5 pm. *sigh*

and. And. AND.

This made at least 2 meals for us…so that’s another dinner I don’t have to worry about in the next few weeks. I just added the extra meat-bean sauce into a plastic freezer baggie and froze it flat. Perfect meal for the next time I’m having one of “those” afternoons!

Also, we’ve got more great giveaways from Hurst Beans and new bean recipes coming up in February too!

And now for the Slopp-Beany Joes…

(Note: You will need to soak these beans before hand. If you don’t, then you need to add some more water to the recipe. I’m not going to tell you how much, because I haven’t experimented with using un-soaked beans.)

Disclosure: This post is part of a paid campaign with Hurst beans. Recipe was created in my kitchen, using Hurst Beans products. Opinions are my own. My love of dried beans is deep and abiding.

Genius photo. Genius concept. Genius recipe from Smitten Kitchen.

• Beef Chili with Cheddar Biscuits

I really love it when my slow cooker can do the work for me. January usually means a freezer and pantry challenge, including rice and beans. So, about once a month I batch cook some beans to tuck away in the freezer. Especially in the winter months, that means navy beans.

Using the slow cooker to batch cook takes only a little pre-planning.

• You need to rinse and sort beans the afternoon or evening prior to cooking.
• Next, let the beans soak overnight in the slow cooker.
• The next morning, strain out the soaking water, rinse your beans and rinse out your slow cooker.
• Put your beans back in the slow cooker.
• Cover your beans with fresh water – about an inch above your beans.
• I season my beans with minced garlic and onion.
• Cook at least 10-12 hours on low. If you are in a hurry, you can cook the beans on high for several hours then adjust the setting to low. You’ll just need to test the beans to be sure they are done.

Overnight variation: I have also rinsed and sorted the beans mid day. Let them soak until bedtime. Drain then cook the beans, as mentioned above, in the slow cooker overnight. Cool, bag individually and freeze in meal-sized portions. Then, serve those beans up with other veggies and some cornbread. Or choose from the recipes below:

• All of Erin’s bean recipes
• Erin’s Batch Cooking Beans the regular way
• Erin’s How to Cook Dried Beans
• A Southern favorite Senate Navy Bean Soup
• You might like my recipe for batch cooking black-eyed peas in the slow cooker.
• I love to use my slow cooker for batch cooking. I cook ground turkey in the slow cooker: It’s the Super Supper Saver

There’s no set-in-stone way to batch cook beans in the slow cooker. It takes a while but requires very little supervision. And the investment pays off big on busy weeknights. In our home it helps fill all those hungry tummies the frugal way!

Photo Credit: Butcher, Baker

Y’all know this is how I roll…stretching your meal with inexpensive and healthy legumes…lentils in this case. With the shaved Parm…Yum-sers!

• Lentil Chili

This giveaway is now closed. Winner is Staci!

I’ve got some more bean-y goodness for you all this week!

Starting tomorrow, we’ll be having a Chili themed “half-week,” where we’ll be featuring some of the best and most creative chili recipes for here, there and everywhere.

And wouldn’t have a fabulous bean pot be perfect for cooking your beans, and even your chili!

Enter to win a handmade clay soup pot from Hurst, made for specifically for cooking beans and making bean soup. Along with a sampling of 15 Bean Soup packs from Hurst Beans.

Lentil and Wild Rice Pilaf

(If I had cranberries, I’d make this for lunch!)

Helpful beans resources

Before we get to the clay pot, here are a few helpful bean resources:

• How to Cook Dried Beans
• Rice and Beans Budget Recipes

And if you haven’t entered the first contest, you can still do so…double your chances!

Here are the details on the giveaway…

Giveaway Details

1. Contest ends on Tuesday, January 31st at 5 pm EST. Winners will be announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions.

• Entry #1: Leave a comment below and tell me which one of the HamBeens soups your family would most enjoy.
• Entry #2: Like Hurst Beans on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
• Entry #3: Sign up for free email updates, or RSS posts from $5 Dinners.

5. Winner will be selected by Random.org.

**NOTE: If you receive the email newsletter and wish to enter this giveaway, click on the title of this giveaway to get to the site and leave a comment on the site with your name and email address to be entered!

*Disclosure: This giveaway is part of the Hurst beans campaign. I am receiving compensation as part of the campaign. Yummy recipes and more giveaways coming soon!

Melt in your mouth enchiladas…

Yep, these are those.

I’ve made all kinds of enchiladas over the years. But never with a random mix of beans like this. Hurst Beans sent me a few bags of beans to cook with and experiment with…and it took me all over 2 seconds to know that I’d use the Cajun 15 Bean Soup mix to make some Cajun-kickin’ enchiladas.

The beans are cooked in the Cajun seasoning packet, and they soak up the Cajun goodness…that then comes out in your enchiladas.

These did not last long in our house…between my husband and I…we had the pan cleared out after a lunch and a dinner. And we ended up fighting (nicely!) over the last 2 enchiladas. Because he got the last of the Creamy Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas, I got the last of these.

Fair enough!

Cook the beans. Then add to a bowl and mix with diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, and some Mexican cheese.

Be sure to drain the tomatoes well. We want to avoid runny enchiladas.

Toss it all together.

Spoon into corn tortillas, roll and place into baking dish, seam side down.

Spread the tomato sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Ready for the oven…and then for you to devour!

Helpful Resources

• How to Cook Dried Beans
• Rice and Beans Budget Recipes

Disclosure: This post is part of the Hurst Beans campaign. I was provided with ingredients for cooking and compensation. Recipes are my own invention. Opinions are my own. Giveaways are for you!

This giveaway is now closed. Winner is Michelle!

OK friends, it’s really difficult for me to break out into the “beans, beans” song…seeing as how I have 3 little boys who think it’s the funniest song in the entire world. Ever. To be written. Ever.

I love dried beans.

I love cooking with them, and batch cooking with them.

I cook dried beans at least once a month. And I’ll make extra, cool off the ones I don’t use for that meal and put them into baggies for the freezer.

(They are not scary to cook, I promise. Here, I’ll show you how easy it is to make them.)

Why?

Because it’s easy to incorporate into my work in the kitchen. They are very hands off, and easy to have going on the stove or in the slow cooker while you are working on other things in the kitchen or around the house. And they are definitely cheaper. Plus, I like to hear my boys’ giggles as they sing “the song.”

(Yes, so someone had to teach them this song…both variations, I should add…it will remain to be said if I had any hand in the matter.)

Any. Who.

I’ve partnered up with Hurst Beans (who are probably terrified about the fact that I’m talking about “the song,” but it made you giggle, didn’t it! And if it’s not stuck in your head, I apologize again. But know you’re not alone, it’s been playing on repeat in my own head for 30 minutes!) to bring you guys some awesome recipes and giveaways over the next few weeks.

(I just made the “Cajun” 15 Bean Soup mix beans for the first time last week…can’t wait to show you what I did with them! While the beans are packaged as soups, they can certainly be used in other recipes!)

N.K. Hurst Co. is a 4th generation family business, that started in 1938. Every package comes from our downtown Indianapolis location where we have been since 1947 (this I find to be simply remarkable!). They source their beans from all over the US.  Dried beans are not only super economical (easily feed a family for under $5, even $3, with leftovers to spare!), we also know that they are packed with fiber, and are super low in fat. This is definitely a win-win-win.

Hurst Beans products and 15 Bean Soup mixes are available at groceries nationwide including: Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Food Lion, Giant Eagle, Stop & Shop, Giant, as well as other regional grocery chains and “Mom & Pop” stores.

So today…you’ve got the chance to win a handmade clay soup pot from Hurst, made for specifically for cooking beans and making bean soup. Along with a sampling of 15 Bean Soup packs from Hurst Beans.

Honey Ham and Beans Soup

(Look at that delicious-ness! Even though I just had lunch, I could totally go for a bowl of this soup right now…with some cornbread. Perfect winter’s day combo!)

Helpful beans resources

Before we get to the clay pot, here are a few helpful bean resources:

• How to Cook Dried Beans
• Rice and Beans Budget Recipes

So without further delay…and song…here are the details on the giveaway!

Giveaway Details

1. Contest ends on Tuesday, January 31st at 5 pm EST. Winners will be announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions.

• Entry #1: Leave a comment below and tell me which one of the HamBeens soups your family would most enjoy.
• Entry #2: Like Hurst Beans on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
• Entry #3: Sign up for free email updates, or RSS posts from $5 Dinners.

5. Winner will be selected by Random.org.

**NOTE: If you receive the email newsletter and wish to enter this giveaway, click on the title of this giveaway to get to the site and leave a comment on the site with your name and email address to be entered!

*Disclosure: This giveaway is part of the Hurst beans campaign. I am receiving compensation as part of the campaign. Yummy recipes and more giveaways coming soon!

Cooler evenings call for spicy dinners to warm us up. I like to add rice to my chili to make it extra hearty. And I often include corn in my white chili because the sweetness of the corn provides a nice contrast to the spicy peppers. Adding rice and corn are fairly inexpensive ways to stretch chili a little farther. This recipe makes enough for two dinners for my family. I freeze the leftovers and then have a ready-made meal on a busy night.

I usually use shredded chicken in white chili, but when I scored a package of extra lean ground turkey for .99 cents, I decided that I needed to change things up a bit.

I make a point of checking the meat mark downs and organic produce markdowns EVERY time I visit a grocery store. I have found that the best time to find good deals is after 6:00 p.m. because the manager marks items down right before his shift ends or first thing in the morning. I never know what I am going to find, but if you want to find great sales you have to look for them.

This quick and easy recipe was inspired by mushy salad greens. I had plans to make taco salad and had already started browning the hamburger when I pulled the lettuce out of the refrigerator and discovered it had turned. I didn’t have a lot of time to come up with a new dinner plan. I surveyed the cupboards and fridge and decided to use the beans and tomatoes  that I was going to put in the salad, stick with taco seasonings and add corn and pasta. Then I said a quick prayer that it would turn out and my family would like it. It turned out well and my family loved it. It is now on my mental list of meals for busy nights because I can make it start to finish in about 15 minutes.

Really short on time? Then don’t peel your tomatoes when you dice them! The tomato peels have nutrients and fiber, so you can feel good about being lazy. I grown roma tomatoes because they have fewer seeds than other varieties, so I don’t bother removing the seeds either. Can you see the tomato seeds in the bowl of pasta? Neither can my children.

I added all of the ingredients to my large skillet after I browned the hamburger. If you don’t have a large skillet, then after you rinse your pasta, return it to the pot you cooked it in and add all of the ingredients to that pot to finish cooking them.

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