Cowboy Beans

Memorial Day is coming this weekend so for the next few days I thought I'd share some of our favorite get together foods. Today I am going to share a few chicken recipes and one or two sides for those chicken recipes.
Cornell Chicken
Huli Huli Chicken
Manti Chicken
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Spaghetti Salad
Three Bean Salad
French Potato Salad


We love beans in our house. They are a cheap source of protein plus there are numerous ways to make them. I prefer to buy dry beans because I find that canned beans are mushy and very salty. To make dry beans a little more convenient to use I make a big batch of them and then freeze them without seasonings to make them just as easy to use as canned beans. These beans were very tasty and could be made with or without the added meat. They were spicy without being overly spicy, a perfect blend of flavors. I added grated colby jack cheese and freshly chopped onions at serving time.


Cowboy Beans
adapted from the Texas Cowboy Cookbook

1 pound dried pinto beans, sorted and soaked overnight
1 pound ground chorizo (optional), cooked until browned
3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
salt
1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Add everything to crockpot and just barely cover with water. Cook on high 4-6 hours. There are two ways to serve this as a soupy dish or as a drier dish where you drain the cooking liquid. I prefer it without the cooking liquid.