tonight is my copycat bean and bacon soup.
When i was a kid i was home sick and there was NOTHING to eat in the house that a sick kid felt like making except for the can of bean and bacon that had been there since i could remember. I just knew i wouldn't like it. It simmered for an hour or so until i got hungry enough to try it. Really good.
A few years back i learned about copy cat recipes on the internets so i looked it up. For less than $10, even in todays dollars, this will feed me and the wife for maybe five good meals and the kids can swing by and steal some if they don't feel like doing their sunday meal prep.
Going to look up a fancy cornbread recipe to go with it.
Might add a turnip to it as well:
ingredients
2 cups dried navy beans
6 strips fried bacon, crumbled
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces tomato paste
1 dash crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups water
2 cups ham stock
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
3 drops liquid smoke, more if desired
salt and pepper, to taste
directions
Soak the beans in water overnight. Drain well.
Combine the soaked beans, bacon, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, garlic, tomato paste, crushed red pepper, water, and stock in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Simmer for 3 hours or until the beans are tender.
Remove 1-2 cups of the soup and place in a blender. Open the feed tube in the lid of the blender to let steam release. Puree until smooth, then return to the pot.
Stir in the wine vinegar and liquid smoke. Mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
