Calico Beans

On Wednesday this week, I really was not doing well. My nausea hit a new height for me and combined with mini headaches to make me feel miserable. I didn't want to have my husband get take out. Part of doing this log is to keep me on course of us eating home cooking as much as possible and to keep unnecessary spending down. So I adjusted my menu plans for the week and made my easiest recipe, Calico Beans which is a family recipe shared to me by my dear friend who has her own cooking blog. Since it is her recipe, I contacted her and got her permission to post it. She does not have it on her blog, so I think this may be the first time this version is posted anywhere, though similar versions will likely be out there.

Basically, Calico Beans is a sweet chili/bean soup. You do not put in any peppers or have it simmer overnight as most ingredients come from a can. The only thing I recommend cooking ahead of time is the ground beef and bacon so that you don't have to do it the might of. Where the recipe says to cook the onion in bacon grease, I just use a bit of olive oil. You can also change out what kind of beans are listed or add more as you desire to make a larger batch or to change up the flavor.

The recipe
Calico Beans
Ingredients

1/2 pound Ground Beef         2 tsp Wine Vinegar
1/2 pound Bacon         1 large can Pork & Beans
1 cup Onion, diced         1 15 ounce can Kidney Beans, drain and save
1 tsp Salt         1 15 ounce can Butter/Lima Beans, drain and save
1/3 cup Brown Sugar 1 15 ounce can Black Beans, drain and save
1 tsp Mustard, dry 1 15 ounce can Garbanzo Beans, drain and save
1 can Tomato Sauce
1/3 cup Catsup

Directions

1. Cook ground beef, drain and set aside.
2. Chop bacon in to 1/2 inch pieces. Cook bacon, drain, and cool on paper towels. Reserve 2 tsp bacon fat.
3. Using bacon fat, cook onions until tender.
4. Into a pot put all cooked in ingredients into pot, using reserved “bean” liquid mix until desired consistency.
5. Simmer covered for about 20 minutes until HOT. Serve with cornbread as desired.

The Verdict

I'm not bothering with the "My Opinion" or "My Husband's Opinion" sections on this one because I have been making this recipe since before I got married and my husband frequently requests it. This recipe is also originally gluten free and dairy free so no adjustments need to be made in that regard. I will make a note however, that you should always double check the ingredients label for the can of pork & beans and just make sure that no gluten was used as a binding agent for the sauce they made. Outside of that, this is easily a 5 out of 5 Stars recipe and we will make it often!

I cook large amounts of bacon bits at a time whenever I prep for this recipe as it is always good to have bacon on hand

The Calico beans after it was done simmering in the pot

I served this with Gluten-Free Sweet Cornbread topped on it as well as on the side.

You can visit this site for the recipe for Gluten-Free Sweet Cornbread (Dairy Free Option) that I use which is seen below.

Instant Pot Sesame Chicken

I need to backtrack a little and explain my silence for this week. As part of my fertility assistance I take a prescription of progesterone for the last ten (10) days of each of my cycles. This is the second month since I started taking it. I have a side effect from it that makes me incredibly nauseous for most of those ten days and zaps my energy as I try to ignore said nausea and continue about my business. As a result, I don't always have the energy to make much of a dinner let alone do a write up about it after. I am making up for it today as I currently have good energy and motivation to get things done. ^^

This last Tuesday I made Instant Pot Sesame Chicken from julieharringtonrd.com. It was a very easy recipe and is great for beginners of the instant pot! The only adjustment that really needs to be made is to use gluten free soy sauce. Since it is such an easy adjustment to make, I will only put the recipe down once and put opinions below it.

The recipe
Instant Pot Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sesame oil, divided
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss chicken to evenly and lightly coat.
2. Preheat the Instant Pot and set to “saute”. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and saute for 3-4 minutes, to brown.
3. Stir in soy sauce, ketchup, and red pepper flakes, if using. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and seal the valve. Set to manual and 3 minutes cook time.
4. When done, use the quick pressure release. When most of the steam is released, remove the lid. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and honey. Stir to combine.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and water to make a slurry.
6. Set Instant Pot back to saute, stir in the slurry and continue to stir as the sauce thickens to desired consistency, about 2 minutes.
7. Top with sesame seeds.
8. Serve over rice and steam broccoli.

My Opinion

When I made this I wanted to put in the bit of kick that the red pepper flakes would have, but I did not have that ingredient so instead I put in a pinch of Cayenne pepper. I found it absolutely delicious! The right amount of kick and no bad aftertaste. This is definitely a new favorite of mine! I also got myself a large container of gluten free soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. I wasn't able to find the large bottles at my local store so I got them from amazon and linked them for you above. For me, it is completely worth it. I love those flavors too much to give them up.

My Husband's Opinion

My hubby also loved this dish. He compared it to the version that was at Panda Express for a limited time saying that it wasn't as sweet as what was at Panda's, but that he did like the difference. He wants me to make it again soon. ^^

Final Verdict

With everything this dish has going for it, it's hard not to love it! It's easy to prepare. With clear instructions and few ingredients, it could be made on the fly if you needed something in a hurry. The only thing I would really like to point out is that for my husband and I, this recipe makes the perfect amount for just the two of us. If you have a larger family, I would recommend at least doubling the recipe. All in all though, this is my first 5 out of 5 Stars. It more than earned it!

What it looks like in the instant pot before serving

A delicious bowl of food to enjoy at home.