Beans

2lbs pinto beans
1/2 pound bacon
1 onion
garlic

Sort beans (there will be rocks and bad beans) and wash well. Place in large pot with peeled whole onion, garlic cloves or desired garlic salt, and bacon. Add cold water so the water level seems to have a ratio of one part beans, three parts water. Turn on high and bring to a rolling boil. When boiling, turn beans on low and cook for 5 hours stirring occasionally. If you think your beans may need more water, bring some to a boil in a separate pot and add. Do not add salt to your beans until they are done cooking or they will absorb the salt. Remove the onion and large pieces of bacon. Beans are great college food because they are SOOOO cheap and full of protein. Iif you have access to a freezer, these are great to make in bulk (because they take so long) and then you have them on hand for recipes or to use as a side dish with a recipe. I store mine in quart size freezer bags.

German Potato Salad Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from The Big Book of Backyard Cooking

2 lbs. small baby potatoes (red, Yukon gold, etc.)

6 oz. bacon (about 1/2 of a standard package)

1/2 c. minced onion

4 cloves minced garlic

1/2 c. white wine vinegar

1/2 c. water

2 tsp. Creole mustard (or a mild coarse-grain mustard, not a strong one in the stout little glass jars)

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 c. fresh dill or 1 Tbsp. dry dill

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the water is heating, quarter or slice the potatoes. When the water comes to a boil, add the potatoes and cook until you can pierce them with a fork but not to the point where they are mushy or falling apart. Drain the potatoes and run some cold water over them.

While the potatoes are cooking/cooling, cut 6 ounces of bacon into bite-sized pieces. Place the bacon in a cold skillet and then turn the heat up to medium and cook until the bacon is crispy. While the bacon is cooking, whisk together the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, pepper, and mustard. Set aside. Remove the bacon from the skillet with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the drippings in the pan.

Add some minced onion and minced garlic and cook until fragrant and the onions are translucent. Add the vinegar/mustard mixture and turn the heat to high. Cook on high for about 3 minutes or until the dressing has reduced by about 1/3. Remove from heat and add the cooked potatoes. Gently toss the potatoes in the dressing and let it stand for about 5 minutes. Add the bacon and dill and gently toss again and then transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs and serve immediately. Serves 6-8.

Mouse’s Macaroni and Cheese From allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

    1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

    1/4 cup butter

    2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

    1 teaspoon mustard powder

    1 teaspoon ground black pepper

    2 cups milk

    8 ounces American cheese, cubed

    8 ounces processed cheese food (eg. Velveeta), cubed

    1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

Directions:

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook until not quite done, about 6 minutes. Drain.

    In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Blend in the flour, mustard powder, and pepper until smooth. Slowly stir in the milk, beating out any lumps. Add the American and processed cheeses, and stir constantly until the sauce is thick and smooth.

    Drain noodles, and stir them into the cheese sauce. Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top.

    Cover the dish, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until sauce is thick and bubbly.

Memphis-Style Coleslaw From Ourbestbites.com

Ingredients:

1 c. mayonnaise (side note: why, oh why does regular mayonnaise have to taste so much better than low-fat?)

2 Tbsp. Dijon or whole-grain mustard

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar        

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 heaping tsp. Kosher salt (or an even 1/2 tsp. of table salt)

1 Tbsp. grated onion

2-2 1/2 tsp. celery seed (absolutely essential for classic coleslaw flavor)

1 16-oz. bag shredded cabbage with carrots (stay away from the very fine shreds because they’ll get too soggy)

1/2 minced green bell pepper

1 carrot, peeled and grated

Combine mayo, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt, onion, and celery seed. In a large bowl, combine shredded cabbage, carrots, and green pepper.

Toss with dressing and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours and up to about 3 days (or when it’s unjustifiably soggy).

Basil Butter Garlic Bread

Posted by twopeasandtheirpod in Step-by-Step Recipes

To make the bread you will need: ciabatta or French bread, butter, olive oil, basil, parsley, garlic, green onion, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.




First, combine all of the ingredients, except for the bread and cheese, in a food processor.




Process until smooth.




Season basil butter with salt and pepper, to taste.




Cut the bread in half using a bread knife.




Spread the basil butter generously over each half of bread.




Put the bread halves together and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F.




Remove the bread from the oven and carefully separate the bread halves. Sprinkle each half with Parmesan cheese.




Photo 9
Return the bread halves to the oven and turn up the heat to 500 degrees F or put them under the broiler. Cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly.




Photo 10
Cut the bread into slices and serve warm.






from tastyrecipes.com