Pinto Beans and Bacon

I love this time of year!! Soups,  casseroles, hot drinks, warm fires, bread right out of the oven… okay.. you get it.. its all food! I absolutely LOVE food. This time of year I have my oven going constantly. Between the desserts and cooking different soups and tasty meals, I am in the kitchen a lot. While the temperature is being stubborn here and remaining steady instead of dropping (come on, its officially fall), I was determined to make one of my favorite fall meals tonight. I have literally dreamed about making this for the past several months.

So off to the commissary I went, and the larger pot came out from underneath the cabinet (seriously, how do spiders find their way in), to be washed and prepped for use. If you are gone all day, this is a better meal for a weekend when you are going to be home, but you can make enough to feed an army (promise) and divide out into freezable containers for thawing and reheating later. Super easy dinner and one that is going to go fast!

What you need:

• Pinto Beans – I used two pounds. This gave me enough for dinner tonight, and three freezer meals, with some left over to take to my neighbors
• OSCAR MAYER Bacon Bits – You want the hickory smoked ones for the flavor kick
• Onion
• Salt, Pepper, Bay Leaf – for seasoning

Directions:

1. Sort through the beans and take out the broken ones, then cover with water and put on to boil
2. Add seasonings, and onion
3. Let boil for about one hour – keep an eye on the broth level, you don’t want it them to boil dry!
4. Turn down to low boil for several hours (still keeping an eye on the broth level)
5. Add your bacon bits about two hours before you serve, giving them time to let their flavor meld into the broth.
6. Serve hot! For an added twist, throw some KRAFT shredded cheese on top and serve with warm tortillas!

This meal is one of my families favorites. Every time I make it I have a circle of people standing around the stove sniffing away just waiting for it to be done! Super funny story – when I made this when we were stationed at Fort Lewis, we had some work being done on our house. I came downstairs to find six construction workers gathered around my stove, trying to figure out everything that was in the pot! Thankfully I had made enough to share a bit! Seriously, instant hit with anyone!! Celebrate fall with this delicious and filling meal!! (Mayyybeee just crack the windows a little bit after dinner….)