Southern Baked Beans with the Instant Pot

I have vague dreams (or nightmares) of celebrity chefs visiting on late night talk shows and cooking an entire meal using four Instant Pots. Now, where in my kitchen can I put four Instant Pots to cook at the same time and still have counter space to prep the ingredients? I think these television shows were aired prior to or during the Covid pandemic. I guess my vision will remain a memory as I hear from the media that the original Instant Pot company has filed for bankruptcy. Not that it matters. If we all take care of our four Instant Pots, we will be cooking in them for many years to come. I still use my one and only Instant Pot from time to time for several select dishes such as this delicious “Southern Baked Beans” recipe.

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Cookin’ in the Kitchen: Cowboy Baked Beans with a Kick — during the Coronavirus threat

Wow, so much has changed in the world in just a few weeks. It is hard to imagine at the start of 2020 that Louisiana and many other states would be under a “stay at home” order for the very serious health treat of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Our governor says that Louisiana has one of the fasting growing trajectories of this virus — due to the city of New Orleans and I’m guessing the tourist trade. Stay at home also means to cook at home. This includes being flexible and adaptable with ingredients on hand in your pantry. But who wants to spend all day cooking and washing dishes? For the next several weeks,  I’m going to post one-pot dishes which are simple to prepare and allow for substitution of ingredients. “Cowboy Baked Beans with a Kick” is one of these recipes.

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Blackstrap Molasses Baked Beans and Variation

A healthy diet includes eating plenty of foods high in fiber. Western diets–with all our processed foods–typically fall short of the recommended fiber intake. Dried beans, peas and lentils provide substantial amounts of fiber and can greatly boost the fiber in meals. I love baked beans and have made many variations over the past year. Here are several of my recipes.Blackstrap Molasses Baked Beans - IMG_6851_1 Continue reading