The "Famous" Beans (Gluten Free!)

These are my "famous" beans....if you've ever come to my house for our carne asada nights, you've had these beans. They are super easy to make and always a big hit. They also freeze really well. This makes a big batch, so there's always leftovers and they taste even better the next day. I love refried beans, too, but these are the beans I usually make to go with Carnitas and Carne Asada.....they are delicious by themselves with some sour cream...mmmmm....or in a burrito...really, I've seen my friends eat them in some very creative ways...lol

The "Famous" Beans

1 white onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
2-14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 giant can pinto beans (108 oz. Teasdale Brand is my favorite, but you can use any canned pinto beans) If you can't find the giant can, get 6-16oz cans of beans)
1-4oz can diced green chiles (HOT)
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp garlic powder

Saute onion and garlic about 5 minutes. Add bacon and saute until completely cooked.

Add remaining ingredients. Let simmer at least 30 minutes, but the longer, the better.  Yesterday, I made these and I brought it to a light simmer for the first 30 minutes, then I turned it on low until we were ready to serve, which was about 5 hours....they just get better!

Gluten Free AuGratin Potatoes with Ham

I made these for our family Easter get together. I didn't want to make plain ol' scalloped potatoes, so I decided to try a different cheese combination and also added ham and green onions. I think they came out super duper delicious!

Gluten Free AuGratin Potatoes with Ham

10 medium russet potatoes sliced thin...(I used a mandolin to make sure they were all the same thickness)

2 1/2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

1/2 cup diced green onions

1 cup diced ham

1 stick butter

8 Tbsp gluten free flour

3 cups milk

Peel and slice the potatoes. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add gf flour and mix with a whisk to make a roux. Cook until it's light brown, about 3-4 minutes. Don't burn it! Add the milk and stir with whisk until the mixture thickens. 2 cups cheddar and 1 cup gruyere cheese to the milk mixture.  This will be your cheese sauce.

Put one layer of the potatoes into a large baking dish. Add a little of the remaining cheese, some of the ham and some green onions. Add another layer of potatoes and to that layer, add some more cheese, ham and onions. Keep layering until you run out of room...it depends on the size of your dish. I used a large casserole dish and made 3 layers, but it took 2 hours to cook.

  If you use a 9x13 baking dish, you will probably only be able to make 2 layers. Just divide it equally.  You can also forget about the layering and add all the cheese, onions and ham to the milk mixture and just pour it over the entire dish. It's totally up to you. It all ends up mixed together anyway....

Bake at 375 degrees for about an hour and a half. I covered it for the first hour, then let it cook without the cover the remainder of the time. 

These are definitely not low fat, but totally worth the calories!!! And the hardest part is slicing the potatoes, so if you can invest in a mandolin, which can be as cheap as $20, it will save your sanity...lol.