Happy Tailgate Thursday, everyone! I hope last weekend’s games you watched were fun and that your team played well. (I know ours did!)
This week, I’ve got a recipe for y’all that can go multiple ways. It can be a dip. It can be a side. And it can even be a topper of fajitas/quesadillas/tacos. It’s that versatile… and that delicious.
It’s something you can cook ahead, pack away in the fridge or in your rolling cooler for gameday, and it can be eaten at room temperature, even though it is particularly delicious heated up. So you can bring a small saucepan and heat it up on the grill… or on the cooking contraption of your choice at your tailgate! (Trust me when I say that this is worth it!)
The only key to this recipe is cooking the beans long enough for them to become soft and for the flavors to meld. Crunchy beans in this dip are not wanted. And if this is something you cook beforehand, pack away and then bring to the tailgate, leave the beans a little al dente so that when you simmer them to warm them up on the grill/whatever, they won’t become too mushy.
Then after all that simmering and melting of flavors, you get to take a bite. And, trust me, you’re gonna enjoy it.
- 3 cups dried black beans
- 6 cups water
- 2 sprigs oregano
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 fresh sage leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, diced finely
- 1 bell pepper, diced finely
- 1 jalapeno, diced finely
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- Soak the 3 cups of black beans overnight in water.
- Drain black beans and save the extra liquid to add in to the dip later.
- Place beans and water into a large pot over medium heat. Throw in oregano, the bay leaves and the safe leaves and bring to a boil.
- Cover and let boil for almost an hour, or until the liquid has been completely soaked into the beans.
- While the beans, water and herbs are coming to a boil, sautee the olive oil, onions, bell pepper, and jalapeno together.
- When the vegetables are soft, season them with the salt, chili powder and cumin.
- When the beans have soaked in all the initial liquid, toss in the vegetables and also pour in the liquid the beans soaked in overnight.
- Simmer for another half hour.
- Pour in orange juice, lime juice and the rice wine vinegar.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream, and enjoy!
If you’re tailgating this weekend, give this bean dip a try! It’s perfect with chips, pitas or even vegetables… and is the perfect kind of finger food for a gameday!
Hello! My name is Erin. I'm the head cook and baker around these parts. I enjoy a nice iced latte in the morning. I carry my camera around with me at all times. And I am fascinated with 
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I make a similar kind of meal with red kidney beans…it’s kind of like a chilli con carne without the carne. You can have it with rice and a bit of sour cream or cheese on top. It’s yummy. A simple and quick meal to make but I do cheat a bit..the beans come out of a can !