Black Beans and Rice

Jen and I were talking about serving beans for dinner and she gave me this great idea of how to serve black beans. What I like about it is that there is no meat involved, which is what makes up the cost of most of my bean dinners. 

The night before: Rinse and sort black beans (however much you want...1-2 lbs or so) Put them in a large dutch oven or stock pot. Cover with 3 inches of water. Let soak overnight.

In the afternoon: Drain the water. (This helps cut down on the gaseousness of the beans.) Fill with fresh water and cover beans with a few inches of water. 

Add: 1-2 T bacon grease

1 chopped onion

2-4 minced garlic cloves

salt to taste

Cook on med-low for about 1 1/2-2 hours. Keep an eye on it, don't let your beans boil, this makes them crack. Also, stir them every now and then.

Next: Steam rice (for our fam of 5 I cook 1 1/2 C uncooked rice in 3 C water)

If you have grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, or chips, bring them out. If not, don't worry, it still tastes really good. 

To serve, I put a scoop of rice in the bottom of each bowl and top with the beans, add a sprinkle of cheese, and we all enjoy it. 

Then the next day I usually spice it up a little more, since leftovers are never as good as the first serving (unless they are chocolate cake or chili). This is when I add salsa, sour cream and chips. Or it is also good rolled up in a tortilla. 

I figured this meal, without the extras, costs somewhere around $1-$3 depending on the price you get on beans. And that serves 5, with leftovers!