Batch {Bulk} Cooking Pinto Beans, ect…

Hello lovely readers. In the Fall I shared with y’all the benefits of cooking dry beans and showed different ways to use them in your cooking. There are two other types of beans I like to do that with as well. Today I will share my pinto bean and Great Northern bean cooking session with you. Just as I did with the other beans I washed, sorted, soaked overnight, and cooked the beans in an electric pressure cooker. I did this method for both types of beans (at separate times). They can also be cooked LOW and slow in a crockpot, but for this to be quick I used my electric pressure cooker.

I ended up cooking 4 lbs. of beans that day (both bags were 2 lbs. each) because I wanted to go ahead and use them up. I did not want to overcrowd my pressure cooker so I only cooked 1 lb. at a time. I like that I can get several cans worth of cooked beans this way. It saves money in the long run. Once the beans were done I separated them into 2 cup portions with 1/2 cup of the bean juice (can be rinsed off when thawed and ready to use). I pour the portions into quart sized labeled “Ziploc” bags. I ended up with the equivalent of 6 cans of Great Northern beans and 5 cans of the pinto beans. I flatten them to get out as much air as possible to freeze flat on a baking sheet.

Now what can I use these bags of beans for? You can cook up these beans with your favorite seasons to eat by the bowl, but my hubby and son don’t like eating them that way. I on the other hand love a bowl with homemade cornbread, and chow chow the way we had it growing up. YUM! Just because my guys don’t like eating them that way doesn’t mean those beans aren’t useful in my cooking. Instead I make use of them in other ways that they will enjoy. I use these to make some of the following.

Meal ideas to use cooked pinto beans with/in:

* Chili

* Bean and Ham Soup

* Tacos

* Nachos (ex: loaded)

* Quesadillas

* Bean and Cheese burritos

* Beef and Bean burritos

* Burrito Bowls

* Refried Beans

* Enchiladas

* 7 layer dip (Mexican)

* Hummus (spicy or Chipotle flavored)

Meal ideas to use cooked Great Northern beans with/in:

* White Chicken Chili
* Ham and Bean Soup

* Minestrone (to replace the Kidney beans)

* Stew

* Hummus (Spicy, Garlic, or Pesto flavored)

* Mix it with other beans to make a Mixed Bean Soup

These are just some examples of the many things you can do. If any other things come to mind, I may come back to add to this list later. What can you think of that I haven’t added to the list? Please fee free to let me know in the comments below. I will be back with you soon to share another bulk cooking session.

 


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