Side Dish Recipe – Rancher Beans

Side Dish Recipe – Rancher Beans

Sometimes you need a side dish that is hearty and has a rich savory flavor profile.  We are coming up on grilling season.  In my house a yummy grass fed burger is served with grilled asparagus and these Rancher Beans.  But the fun does not stop there, you can add them to a crock pot and take them along to a backyard summer party, family reunion or potluck. In fact, one of my most popular recipes uses Rancher Beans, Farm Hand Soup.  I love versatile side dishes, you know the kind you make and serve with a variety of food.  You can make a huge batch of beans, freeze them in Mason Jars to have when need something that is delicious and nutritious and best of all EASY!  I love the kind of recipe that makes your families eyes light up with delight when they whats on the table.

My Rancher Beans Story

So growing up in Texas you can count on this very familiar can of beans showing up to dinner.  They had an unmistakable flavor and I loved them.  Of course it took my poor mom about 10 years to get me to even try them.  After I tried them I loved it when she made them for us.  I could smell them cooking a mile away.  Often my mom’s mustard potato salad would be the other side dish and quite frankly I was in heaven.  I always liked that little guys face licking his lips on the can, he summed up my feelings for these beans very well…lip smacking good!  So fast forward to 2015 and I wanted Ranch Style Beans.  I choose not to eat the ones in the can so I needed my own recipe.  I spent months getting it just right.  I wanted my homemade beans to taste like the canned ones!  Recipe development is never a one try event.  It takes multiple tries to get something that you are proud of and can actually share out to the world.  I refused to give up on this one.  I think you will be happy that I didn’t!

 

Rancher Beans Recipe

2 tbs olive oil
8 green onions including greens, chopped
2 cups cooked red beans, from a can, should be rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked white beans, from a can, should be rinsed and drained
1 green chili pepper, small diced
1 cup tomato paste
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic salt
½ tsp cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of water

In a large sauce pan (one that all the ingredients will fit in), heat olive oil and cook green onions and chili pepper for 3 minutes or until translucent and slightly soft.   Add the rest of the ingredients into the pan and cook for 1 hour on low heat. This will meld the flavor profiles to perfection!

Variations: If you are using sprouted beans please cook for 1 hour before adding them to the recipe.  This will allow them to cook throughly with the recipe times above.  1 cup of dry beans will equal 2 cups after sprouted and will be the right amount for this recipe.