Southwestern Style Beans

One of the most popular side dishes I’ve made is the Spanish style beans we discovered years ago. And after roasting a large (ok, huge) batch of Hatch chiles the other day I decided to take my old trusty Spanish style bean recipe and make Southwestern style beans. And boy, did it ever come out great, too. It reminds me of a meatless chili, actually. Just like a big bowl of chili it would be perfect on a cool fall day in Indiana.

Southwestern Style Beans

Oh So Good!

Ranch style beans have such a wonderful flavor that I could eat them right out of the can. If you can’t find freshly roasted green chiles, just add canned chopped green chiles to these southwestern style beans.

I like to use my good ole trusty Dutch oven to make this soup and pretty much darned near anything like it on my stovetop. It’s nice and big and sturdy. That extra weight helps it maintain and distribute heat perfectly. As an added bonus, it’s actually pretty easy to clean up too!

Southwestern Style Beans
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5 from 1 vote

Southwestern Style Beans

I decided to take my old trusty Spanish style bean recipe and make Southwestern style beans. And boy, did it ever come out great, too. 
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword beans, southwestern
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6 servings
Calories 24kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot.
  • Saute the onion until tender.
  • Add the chiles and garlic and saute another 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the bay leaves, oregano, liquid smoke (if using), beans, paprika, and bouillon,. Stir. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Cover and simmer until hot and bubbly 30-35 minutes.
  • Serve garnished with cilantro.

Notes

Serve with cornbread.

Nutrition

Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Roasted Hatch Chiles

I received an email the other day from our local Fresh Market saying they had cases of Hatch chiles available for order. Well, I thought, that’s something new for me, so I’ll do it. I’ve never prepared or cooked fresh Hatch chiles, I’ve just used the canned ones you get in the supermarket. My plan was to roast them all, and I did. I also got to find out how big a case of Hatch chiles is: 18 pounds. Over 150 peppers. Yep, over 150 peppers.

Roasted Hatch Chiles

The Perfect Char For The Perfect Flavor

I fired up my largest charcoal grill and got to work. Batch after batch, I roasted the Hatch chiles until lightly charred. My plan was to only use a few of the roasted chiles immediately, so most went into bags and then the freezer for use later. After I got a system down roasting them was actually very easy. And boy, did it ever smell fantastic on the desk.

I froze the chiles whole without removing stems, membranes or seeds. I found that they clean up quite easily when thawed and maybe (maybe) have more flavor that way. Plus, with 150+ peppers, I was definitely not up to cleaning that many peppers in one evening. Roasting them was enough of a chore!

Perhaps I should get one of those big chile roasters you see in serious pepper-roasting folk’s yards…. Hmmmm…. A new toy

Roasted Hatch chiles are fantastic in my pimento cheese sandwiches and my queso dip.

Roasted Hatch Chiles
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5 from 1 vote

Roasted Hatch Chiles

I fired up my largest charcoal grill and got to work. Batch after batch, I roasted the Hatch chiles until lightly charred. 
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword peppers, roasted
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 2 pounds
Calories 245kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds Hatch chiles rinsed, patted dry

Instructions

  • Fire up a grill for direct cooking. If using a gas grill add a few wood chunks or shavings to add a smoky flavor.
  • Place the chiles directly over the fire.
  • Roast the chiles until mostly blackened and slightly charred on all sides, rotating as needed. I tried to get the peppers about 80% charred so that they still had some of their pepper texture.

If using the peppers immediately

  • Place peppers in a large resealable bag, container, or bowl covered with plastic wrap.
  • Let sit for at least 15 minutes and then remove the stems, membranes, and seeds. Peel off the skin but do not rinse under running water.

If saving to freeze

  • Place the peppers in large resealable bags.
  • Seal and let sit out until cooled.
  • Open the bags and remove as much air as possible. Re-seal and freeze until needed.
  • To use, thaw the peppers then remove the stems, membranes, and seeds. Peel off the skin but do not place under running water.

Notes

This technique will work for roasting any kind of chiles.

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Sodium: 3021mg | Fiber: 30g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin C: 109mg

Nutritional values are approximate.