Pinto Beans and Cornbread

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Pinto beans with cornbread is one of those meals that reminds me of my childhood. I remember my mom making it: helping her sort out the rocks from the beans, rinsing and soaking them, and then waiting for what seemed like forever for them to be done. And cornbread. Mmmm cornbread! I don't know if my mom used a box mix, or made it from scratch, but it was good. For some reason the combination of the sweet salty taste of buttery cornbread and the savory richness of the pinto beans is just delectable! I added a little cumin to my beans to give them a kick, and really give it a "south-of-the-border" kind of feel. So, I hope you're hungry!

Pinto Beans

Ingredients:

1 16oz bag of dried pinto beans

Water

4 strips of bacon, chopped into 1" pieces

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, ground cumin

Preparation:

Sort any foreign objects out of dried beans. Rinse well. Put beans in a large pot, and fill with water until water level is 2" above beans. Add chopped bacon to pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and lower heat to simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Once the beans are soft and the liquid is creamy, add 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp cumin (adjust these to taste as necessary). Leave covered on low heat while you prepare and bake the cornbread.

Cornbread

Ingredients:

1 cup milk (I used evaporated milk)
6 tablespoons butter butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1-2 Tbsp butter, melted (for pan)

Preparation:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Beat milk and egg in a large bowl with a beater. Stir in melted butter and stir into wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Bake in a cast iron skillet or baking dish with extra melted butter in the bottom at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.

Cut the cornbread into wedges, and serve with a big bowl of beans. Enjoy!!