Ever have those nights when it just looks like there's nothing to eat, but it turns out you had something delicious all along?
Well, the other night this is all I had on hand. Two cups of cooked leftover pinto beans, 1 cup rice and one package of skinless sausage.
First, I cut the sausage into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices and seared them in a large pot over medium high. The beans were too cold to throw directly in the pot, so I warmed them up in the microwave, then added to the large pot.
Next, I tossed in
- 1 cup of dried parboiled rice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/4 cup water.
I may have added more water to keep the ingredients from getting too thick. When the liquid came to a strong simmer, I covered the pot and turned down the heat to low. I made sure to cook the rice for 20 minutes. Then removed the large pot from heat and allowed to sit for 5 to 10 minutes. The extra liquid has a chance to thicken while it cooled down.
While the rice was doing it's thing, I made a quick batch of moist cornbread muffins. Everything was ready to eat at the same time and everyone was pleased.
Hey Jill I had a few more items on hand so between yours & mine I made Gumbo. I did make the cornbread cause I just love cornbread. From great minds comes great ideas.
You got that right, Sister Jan!
I’ve never made Gumbo. I absolutely love it, but I have never made it.
Care to share your recipe for gumbo?
Looks good! We love leftovers because it often means less time slaving in the kitchen. When I make lasagna, I usually make a lot more ground turkey or beef (whatever I use at the time) and use it for burritos/ tacos. Don’t get me wrong, I love cooking but due to a busy schedule when I am not preparing dinner after work, my husband and I can go to the gym.
I hear ya, Deby! I love cooking, but I don’t do it everyday. That’s exhausting and I have way too much going on.
What’s that they say? “Work smarter, not harder.”
I’m always happy to take the time to double a recipe or cook ingredients ahead of time, just so I can have a few nights of fast heat’n-eat meals.
how were the pinto beans prepared before this?
Hi Ed, thanks for asking, I left that part out on this post.
I normally cook them in a pressure cooker for 50 minutes, with four cloves of garlic, 1 tsp salt, and about 3 tablespoons of canola oil.
I keep the seasonings simple, because I tend to use the beans for different soups, refried beans and burrito filling.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, go to this recipe link for the other stove top method.
http://simpledailyrecipes.com/beans-n-cornbread/
Definitely a family favorite with the cornbread muffins for sure!
Karyn Campbell
Ohio
Email Subscriber