Corn & Bean Burgers

The first time I made these I was expecting a slightly leery reception by my family. After all, it's a "burger" with no meat. However, I think we were all pleasantly surprised by how well they turned out. The corn kernels add nice pops of sweetness and the BBQ sauce is a nice complement. This is a great meatless meal, albeit a little harder to disguise as meatless.
The key is making sure you don't form the patties too thick otherwise when you pick up your burger and take a bite it will smoosh out the sides.

Corn & Bean Burgers
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Yields: 6 burgers
Source: Good Housekeeping

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pinto beans {~1 can}
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 cup corn
1/2 cup shredded cheese {we use a colby jack blend}
~1T flour
cooking spray
6 hamburger buns

Directions:
   1.  In a food processor, pulse beans, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and onion powder until ground.
   2.  Add corn and cheese; pulse until just combined.
   3.  Form into 6 patties, mashing together well, making sure to not make them too thick.
   4.  Lightly dust one side with flour; mist with cooking spray. Place in skillet over medium heat. Dust other side with flour, mist with cooking spray. Cook each side for ~7 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns with BBQ sauce.

Baked Beans

We had always been content fans of canned baked beans until one Saturday last summer. We were grilling and wanted to have baked beans but there were none in the house. I went to my cookbooks, looked around and found this recipe. The first time I made the beans they were good but not perfect. Now I think I've pretty much got it down and we actually prefer these beans as opposed to the canned stuff.

The longest part of the prep is boiling the coffee mixture but even that doesn't take long. After that you can relax and enjoy the delicious smell of your baked beans baking in the oven, making you wish it were already time to eat!

Baked Pinto Beans
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Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 30 oz can pinto beans (or 2 14 oz cans), drained
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup water
1/2 T vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp celery seed
1/4 cup cold coffee
1/2 onion, diced
2 slices bacon, diced
1 cup water

Directions:
   1.  In a small saucepan, heat brown sugar, 1/8 cup water, vinegar, salt, cloves, pepper and celery seed to boiling, stirring occasionally. Stir in coffee.
   2.  Place beans, onion and bacon in a casserole dish. Pour coffee mixture and 1 cup water over top; stir.
   3.  Cover and bake in 350 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove cover and bake 15-25 minutes longer.

Adapted from: 1988 printing of Betty Crocker Cookbook

This is linked to Good Cheap Eats.

Chimichangas

There is something about chimichangas that just hits the right spot for both my husband and me. We were both truly looking forward to having these and really enjoyed them, as always.
These chimichangas are quite easy to make. The variable simmering time provides flexibility and we've also found that they freeze well. (I freeze them before baking, then let them thaw for about 30 minutes before baking as normal.)

Chimichangas
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Yields: 6 chimichangas

Ingredients:
1 lb shredded pork or chicken
1 can kidney or pinto beans, drained
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp garlic powder
2 T chili powder
1 T vinegar
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded cheese
tortilla shells (not pictured)
sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa, lettuce (not pictured)

Directions:
   1.  Put meat, beans, water and spices in a skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
   2.  Uncover, return to a boil until the water evaporates.
   3.  Fill tortillas with meat mixture and top with cheese. Fold as desired.
   4.  Bake in a preheated oven at 400 for 15-17 minutes.
   5.  Serve with lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa.

This is linked to Good Cheap Eats.

Quesadillas

These quesadillas were a hit with all three of us. I was a little worried at first about convincing my husband that they would still be good, even without meat. It didn't take long for him to decide I was right.

Pulsing the salsa with the beans makes it much easier to work with and a little smoother for the mouth. The spinach and carrots blend so well in this application. You get a few crunches from the carrots, a nice change in this otherwise soft meal.

Quesadillas

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Yields: 5 quesadillas

Ingredients:

10 tortillas

1 can pinto beans, drained

6 T salsa, divided

1 cup spinach

1 cup carrots

1 tsp chili powder

2 cups shredded cheese, divided

sour cream and salsa, for serving

Directions:

   1.  Preheat oven to 350.

   2.  In a food processor pulse pinto beans and 3 T salsa until smooth. Remove to a medium bowl. Pulse spinach and carrots until very fine; add to bowl. Add chili powder and 1/2 cup cheese. Stir to combine.

   3.  Spread bean mixture over 5 tortillas; top with remaining cheese. Cover with other five tortillas.

   4.  Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

This is linked to Good Cheap Eats.