NACHO MAMA...

Not your average nachos.

A dish inspired by the very best kind of leftovers--the kind that can be transformed into a totally new meal in mere minutes. And that makes me happy.

The Leftovers:
1. Beans from the previous night's Beans and Cornbread
2. Homemade Ranch from pizza night earlier in the week

Ingredients:

• 1 can refried beans (or in my case, the equivalent in leftover pinto beans)
• 1 can diced green chili peppers, drained
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 yellow onion, grated or finely chopped
• 4 TBSP salsa

Pick your toppings: tomato, avocado, grated carrots (huge fan!!), more diced onion, diced bell pepper, shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream, ranch dressing, guacamole, shredded chicken or ground beef, cheese, and the list goes on and on...

I just used what I had on hand: salsa, cheese, carrots, and ranch dressing... and we were all happily filled, no meat involved! 

To do:

• In a small pan on the stove, mix together your beans, peppers, garlic, onion, and salsa. Heat through.
• Assemble the nachos in whatever manner suits your fancy.

Notes to self:

1. Sam does not like the nacho chips on the bottom in the event that small children must be attended to before we're able to eat, and the chips get soggy. Moral of the story: Sam does not like soggy chips. 

2. Next time I think I'll throw everything up on top of a beautiful bed of lettuce and forget the chips. I suppose that undoes the whole "Nacho" theme for a third of the family, but perhaps I could crumble some chips up on top of it and call it "Nacho Mama's Salad..." Enough said. 

Recipe adapted from The Probiotics Revolution

"Beans and Cornbread..."

"They go hand in hand..."

Thank you Mr. Louis Jordan for the inspiration: listen to it here!  And when I think of the song, I think of blanket forts in the family room, TBS Dinner and a movie night, and watching The Money Pit for the first time. Oddly enough, I don't think even tasted beans and cornbread until our fifth year of marriage... last year! Crazy! 

My apologies for the picture. Oh never mind that my beans are a little on the, well, dry side.  However, Sam went back for seconds, so he didn't seem to mind too much-- sweet husband that he is! And just for the record,  butter and sour cream do wonders for dry beans! 

Ingredients:
dried pinto beans (I used the small bag from Publix)
water
salt
pepper
sour cream, for topping it all off

drum roll please.... Jiffy Corn Bread (1 box), 1 egg, 1/3 c milk, butter

To do:

• Rinse and drain beans in a colander, picking over them to remove any debris or unsightly beans. 
• In your pot of choice, cover the beans with a couple of inches of water.
• Bring the beans to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and well... simmer for about two 1/2 to 3 hours until the beans are tender. 
• Add salt and pepper to taste. 
• Important note to self: Check on the beans during the cooking process, and add more water if necessary! 

Prep time: 15 minutes total, maybe.

And just FYI... leftover beans make a fabulous base for nachos!