"Monday" Meals

Monday....oh yes, the worst day of the week, to me anyway. They are always crazy & I am usually at home cleaning all day, therefore I need a easy dinner that does not require a trip to the store! And, no meat involved here!

This one is my favorites, Monday or not. I don't know what it is about a plain old Bean & Cheese Burrito, but it always has been & probably always will be my favorite food. This recipe is great because it allows you to use Food Storage Pinto Beans, or if you don't have those, Pinto Beans are like the cheapest food you can buy :) and last but not least, it's a crockpot recipe, which is absolutely PERFECT for a stinkin Monday! No fuss. Not to mention, my favorite part is that there are beans left over so I can eat burritos all week for lunch! Cheap, Resourceful, Delicious, Leftovers, and Crockpot...Need I say more? Ok.

Refried Beans

3 cups of dry pinto beans (rinsed)

1 onion, peeled & halved

9 cups of water

5 t salt

1 3/4 t pepper

2 T minced garlic

1/8 t ground cumin

Put all the ingredients in a crockpot and cook on high for about 8 hours. After they are done, drain all of the liquid out and SAVE THE LIQUID!! Mash beans with a potato masher or whatever you mash with. Add liquid, a bit at a time, to desired consistency, but remember you want them a little runny because they thicken over time. Then get a tortilla (we use the fresh uncooked tortillas, yum... well cook them first!) or grab some tortillas from your favorite Mexican restaurant. Stick a ton of shredded cheese, sour cream, whatever in it, and Wa-lah! Oh, our kids just eat the beans & rice in a bowl, and they LOVE it. I guess they aren't cool enough for burritos yet. Maybe someday.

Spanish Rice

1.5 c white long grain rice (not Minute Rice, regular kind)

2 T chopped, minced onion
1 can chicken broth

1 can tomato sauce

1 t garlic powder

salt to taste

Saute oil, onion, and rice over medium heat until rice is golden & onions are soft. Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, and seasoning, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover. Simmer 30-40 minutes. Fluff and enjoy.

Cowboy Hash (with Eggs & toast)

This is probably the dinner that has been cooked the most at our house. Its great for those days you just want something fast, simple, and healthy, and you don't have to go to the store for.

4 large potatoes, peeled, rinsed, and cubed

1 onion, chopped

2 T Oil

3 t of McCormick Grillmates Montreal Steak Seasoning

a few slices of bacon (I always use the precooked Oscar Mayer or Hormel, so easy)

1-2 c Shredded Cheese

Put chopped potatoes in a micro safe bowl and microwave them for about 7 minutes. In the meantime, saute the onion & oil together until soft. Add the potatoes and the seasoning. Add as little or much of that as you like, we like a lot! Zap the bacon in the micro and then chop up and put in the pan, along with the cheese. Cook until cheese starts to get crusty & the potatoes are soft enough. I always serve this with scrambled eggs & toast. Easy!