Black Bean Fiesta and Fixings Station

When it comes to feeding my family after a cold and busy day, a hearty meal in my slow cooker is my go to. For a family with 6 kids- many of them picky- delicious, customizable Black Bean Fiesta is the perfect choice.

Normally I wouldn’t expect my children to eat black beans, but the fun of customizing their own dinner of Black Bean Fiesta has nearly all of them asking for this recipe often.

Black Bean Fiesta is perfect for stretching your grocery budget with a meatless meal. I usually serve Black Bean Fiesta one night, and then serve the leftovers on taco night later in the week. The black beans taste great on tacos, with (or without) meat. Adding leftover Black Bean Fiesta to taco night is a great way to make your taco meat go a little farther too.

Here’s how to make Black Bean Fiesta:

Soak a 1 pound bag of black beans overnight. In the morning, rinse and drain the beans. Place the beans in your slow cooker with 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

During the last hour or two of cooking add one cup frozen corn and one can of RO*TEL.

The final cooking time will vary depending on how firm or soft your family prefers black beans. We like our beans soft, so my total cooking time is usually 10 hours. Once the beans reach the desired texture add one cup of fresh chopped cilantro to the slow cooker.

Black Bean Fiesta can be served many ways, but my favorite is in a customizable fixings station.

Start by choosing to eat Black Bean Fiesta with chips, inside a soft tortilla, or with rice.

Next offer toppings and mix-ins:

• avocado
• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• fresh chopped cilantro
• salsa

Avocados can be intimidating, if you aren’t familiar with them. But, the addition of avocado really makes Black Bean Fiesta pop, not to mention the added nutritional value avocado adds to the meal.

When chosing a ripe avocado, chose one that yields slightly to a gentle squeeze, and is darker in color but not totally wrinkly. If your avocado is very firm, it is not ripe. A very firm avocado can take 5 days or more to ripen when sitting at room temperature. My children are usually excited about avocados and not happy about waiting that long to enjoy them. An easy way to ripen an avocado quickly, is to place the avocado in a paper bag with an apple for a day or two.
Just make sure to fold the bag closed to trap the ripening gases.

An avocado will turn brown once cut. If you want to save half of an avocado for another meal be sure to eat the side without the pit. Save the other side with the pit still in the avocado. Cover the avocado firmly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. You will need to scrape a little brown off the top of the avocado, but the majority of the flesh will still be green and fresh.

Speaking of pits… How do you remove the pit of an avocado? You can scoop it out with a spoon, but will often end up with a lot of the edible part stuck to the pit. Check out this simple way to cleanly remove the pit of the avocado.

Push the pit into the avocad, just until you see the flesh around the pit cracking slightly. You can push the pit with the handle of your knife, or the back of a spoon.

Next, push the blade of your knife into the pit.

Now the pit should lift cleanly away from the avocado’s flesh.

Trust me, the avocado makes Black Bean Fiesta so delicious!

Encourage your family to find the combination they like best- that’s the fun of Black Bean Fiesta and Fixings Station! 

What will your favorite combination be?
Find more easy recipes that are perfect during the cold winter months by visiting this link: Yes You Can Recipes!
Find even more family friendly recipes approved by a busy mom and 6 kids here.

Black Bean Fiesta and Fixings Station

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Ingredients

• 1 pound bag of black beans
• 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can rotel
• 1 cup fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Soak a 1 pound bag of black beans overnight.
2. In the morning, rinse and drain the beans. Place the beans in your slow cooker with 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. During the last hour or two of cooking add one cup frozen corn and one can of RO*TEL.
5. The final cooking time will vary depending on how firm or soft your family prefers black beans. We like our beans soft, so my total cooking time is usually 10 hours. Once the beans reach the desired texture add one cup of fresh chopped cilantro to the slow cooker.

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https://bigfamilyblessings.com/black-bean-fiesta/

Big Family Blessings

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