I came across this recipe out of sheer, ‘I just don’t want to go to the store.’ I didn’t create this recipe, however, I did tweak it to my own liking and I encourage you to do the same. I had a mis-match of items in the pantry, some lasagna noodles, a jar of pasta sauce, some baked beans etc… I went to google and put all of those ingredients in the search bar and lo and behold, out came a recipe for Cowboy Baked Bean lasagna.

I suspect whoever created this didn’t feel like going to town either. This is a flavor filled dish that feels like it came straight out of the Appalachian Mountains, although it was probably someone from Texas who created it. It’s a toss-up who likes it more between my wife or Pastor Tim but it’s a crowd pleaser for sure. Let’s get started. (Sorry, no life back-story today. )

First make the baked beans if you like or use canned. Either way is fine.

1lb ground beef

1/2 lb sausage. I use breakfast sausage because of the flavor, but most use Italian sausage. Cook about 3/4 of the way done.

Drain, but not down the sink unless you want to invite your local plumber over to unclog the sink.

Put back in skillet

Add 1 TBS of Chili Powder (optional)

Add one chopped onion- The size depends on you on, the original recipe called for a medium sized onion.

Add 1 large can baked beans

1/2 can Rotel ( You can also use Pico, I love the added cilantro flavor of it in this dish)

1 jar pasta sauce

Simmer 15 mins.

Next prepare the cheese

2 packs of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, make sure it is room temp. I also tweaked this, just because I could. Original recipe calls for 1 pack. I like it with 2 much better.

Half can of queso cheese- This is my addition, add this. (Chefs kiss)

The other 1/2 can of Rotel or pico, whichever you chose.

Mix well.

In a 13x9 casserole dish ( or try it in a large cast-iron skillet, and NO, pasta sauce does not hurt cast-iron….just WASH IT!! Hear an evil laugh.) put a small amount of sauce on the bottom.

Layer lasagna noodles, 3 should be plenty.

Put a small layer of sauce

Add cheese sauce

Sprinkle on a mixed cheese. I like the Mexican 4 cheese for this.

Repeat for the second and third layer.

If you run out of the philly cream cheese, don’t worry, 2 layers of that is plenty. Just add extra Mexican or Mozzarella cheese on top.

Once all layers are complete add jalapeños to top. ( Leave an area without jalapeños for the kiddos.)

Cover with foil.

Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

Remove foil

Bake another 10 minutes

Remove from the oven and let sit for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Serve with garlic bread and salad. Its also great topping it with sour-cream once you have it on your plate.

So next time you’re staring at a mismatched pantry, remember: you’re just one search away from your next favorite meal. Happy trails and even happier eating.

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The Scent of the Holler:

For the inaugural post in Appalachian Recipes, I took a lot of time to think on the first one. First I thought about using my Mama Clara’s Peach Cobbler recipe, then I remembered Blackberry Cobbler and all of the fun around picking fresh blackberries from the mountains to make that wonderful goodness. But I landed on Soup beans or as some call them Pinto beans.

Walking into the house after a day at school and smelling soup beans simmering on the stove, just made everything seem right in the holler. They are not a fancy meal and as most of the world only uses Pinto beans as a side dish, we use them as the main meal with sides of fried potatoes and corn bread fixed in an old cast-iron skillet.

It’s a humble meal that has sustained mountain people for generations, a meal that we look forward to having. It’s one of the cheapest meals you can feed your family, a pound of pinto beans is around a dollar, the potatoes are three dollars and the corn bread we usually already have everything for. So for less than five dollars, you can feed an entire family very well.

The Refiners Fire:

In preparation, some folks soak their beans overnight in salt water, some don’t. It’s the long cooking I think that makes them special, 6-8 hours on the stove with traditionally using fat-back or a ham hock for flavoring. It’s the wonderful smell of those beans simmering and the anticipation of the meal to come.

I don’t think there is any better fitting meal than this for the Appalachian people and Christians alike in the waiting and refining process. It takes time, pressure and patience to bring out the flavor of the beans, just as it does in our spiritual life to refine us into a savory flavor for the Lord through faith.

Zechariah 13:9:

“And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.” (KJV)

Traditional VS Modern Methods ( See Recipe Card Below)

The ingredients are simple, and don’t change….unless you don’t eat pork.

Pinto beans- 1 lb

Salt 1 TBS

Pepper 1 TBS

Ham hock or fat back- a nice chunk ( Thats a measurement in the mountains)

Water or a mixture of water and chicken or beef broth, this adds a deeper flavor.

Traditionally, it’s an overnight soak in salt water, put on the stove in the morning and let simmer for 6-8 hours. That’s a no fuss, leave it alone style that will create an atmosphere of love.

The Modern Pillar-

While the open flame of a wood stove is a memory of the past, the modern Crock Pot (or slow cooker) is the perfect tool for the modern grind. It allows that same “low and slow” magic to happen while you’re out tending to the day’s work.

In my house, we’ve found that the secret to the best pot of beans isn’t just the tool, but the seasoning. While many use fat-back, I now use a nice chunk of Country Ham for the flavor. That salt-cured depth is the gold standard of mountain cooking; it gives up its soul to the beans over those 6–8 hours, creating a liquid gold that is purely divine.

The Method:

• No Soak Required: When using the slow cooker, you can skip the overnight soak.

• The Workflow: Put your pound of pintos, your country ham, and your water (or broth) in the pot in the morning.

• The Timing: Set it on High for about 6 hours. You’ll come home to a house that smells exactly like your Mama’s kitchen, with beans that are perfectly soft and a broth that’s rich and salty.

Instant Pot-

I think this method was invented by the Lord himself because he knew how chaotic life could be. Lets say, you meant to fix soup beans for dinner but everything fell apart that morning. The kids couldn’t find their shoes, like every morning, then the bus was early, coats were left behind along with their back packs that had all of their half finished homework in them and now you have to be a good parent and take all of that to the school before going into work….late, I might add.

Let’s dial down the stress, we have an instant pot. The ingredients are the same and so are the measurements. Nothing changes. Put them in the instant pot (follow your pots instructions) and in about an hour, you have soup beans.

I would add extra seasonings in this method as they don’t have that long cook time for the beans to absorb the flavor of the seasoning meat, but they are still soft and wonderful.

The Legacy-

I look back at the memories of Powers Branch, the smell of the beans simmering, the softness of the corn-bread, and the warmth of a family gathered together, and I realize that meal was one of my first lessons in faith. It taught me that God provides, even in humble things.

We often view the ‘grind’ of daily life as something to simply endure, but perhaps it’s actually the very thing that refines us. Just as those beans transform under the slow heat and the salt of the country ham, we are being tried and shaped into something better. This meal is a reminder that the best things in life, our faith, our families, and our heritage, cannot be rushed. They are worth the wait. They are worth the fire.

As we navigate our own ‘modern grinds,’ let’s not lose the flavor of our heritage. Let’s keep the fire lit, the pot simmering, and our hearts open to the refining work of the Lord.

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