Pinto Beans with Roasted Green Chiles and Corn

We have now been in self isolation for more than 30 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been grocery shopping twice during that time but otherwise at home. Thankfully home is 5 acres in the country so we spend quite a bit of time outside, weather permitting. I guess the true test of our relationship is that we don’t get on each other’s nerves with all this togetherness. We are also retired with income that has not been impacted by the ups and downs of the stock market. We count all this as a considerable blessing.

It’s spring, and I’m a gardener, which means I spend more time in the garden than I do in the kitchen...or blogging. Consequently we eat a lot of simple meals from extra portions from the freezer or something we can cook up pretty fast. My husband is a great cook, but leans more toward meat and potato meals. I tend to cook more soup and veggie dishes. This bean recipe is one we both love. It brings back memories of days we each spent with our grandparents in our childhood. Beans were a staple for both our families. One of my favorites is beans, cornbread and fried okra and potatoes. So in this post you will get the bean recipe and in the next, the fried okra and potato recipe.

We seldom see good fresh okra here, so I buy the cut up frozen okra. I am trying it in my garden this year but we live at 7,000 feet and have a fairly short growing season so I am not sure how successful that will be. The frozen works well and saves some prep time because it is already cut just right for frying and is almost always available.

In summer, we like to buy fresh corn and roast it on the grill. We cut it off the cob after roasting and freeze it. I have not tried growing corn, but it is usually available in summer for a reasonable price. We also buy green chiles in the fall and have them roasted right at the store in a huge revolving roaster, but that may not be available every where. Canned green chiles will work in this recipe just as well. I am trying two heirloom varieties of chiles in my garden this year, so hopefully we can roast our own on the grill come fall.

​I cook my pinto beans from scratch to save on cost and to be sure they are gluten free, but canned pinto beans will work just as well. I have had good luck with the Bush brand of beans and have used them in a pinch. Now that I have an Instant Pot, soaked pinto beans will cook in less than 10 minutes and I can make extra for the freezer, so my preference is just to cook them myself. I like to use home made stock or bone broth to cook beans, which gives them a little extra nutrition and flavor.

​This bean dish can be served with cornbread, chips, rice, quinoa, baked or roasted potatoes, etc. We also like a spoonful on a tortilla with a fried egg on top for breakfast. Possibilities are endless. ​

Pinto bean recipe link