What's for Dinner

Black Beans & Rice with Cornbread

I know rice and beans sounds boring, but if you do it right it can be really good, super cheap & healthy. It's an easy meal if you plan ahead.

1 Bag of dried black beans

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 bag of Ludenberg Jubilee Gourmet Rice *(or your favorite)

1 box Krusteaz Honey Cornbread (or your favorite)

*I tried this rice on a whim last time, and it's my new favorite rice. It's pricey as far as rice goes, but it's so good that it's worth it. Plus when you think pricey rice paired with $1 for a whole bag of beans you still have a cheap dinner at about $1.25 per serving. Half a bag of rice serves 4 adult size portions. I got everything at Walmart.

Prep:

Night before:

- Sort beans and remove any non-bean items. Rinse dried beans in a colander. Put beans in a large bowl and fill completely with water, and then add some more. Your beans are going to suck all that water up during the night.

- Chop your onion, garlic, and bell pepper and put them in a container in the fridge. (You can just throw them all in the same container because they are going to get mixed together anyway)

Morning:

-Drain beans in a colander & rinse.

-Place beans in crock pot, completely cover with water. Add chopped onion, garlic, & bell pepper. Add salt & pepper to taste (you can add a lot it cooks out.) Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4-6 hours.

An hour before dinner

- Cook rice per package directions. This bag has you boil water & rice, cover the pan & then simmer for 50 minutes. Just leave it alone, it does all the work!

- Make cornbread per package directions.

I've been thinking next time I might throw a whole bag of rice with a whole bag of beans in the crock pot. Has anyone tried that before? I can't see why it wouldn't work.

Sometimes we throw diced ham or sliced sausage into the beans while they are cooking. It's really good, just not as cheap.