Brown Bean Seasoning

I never thought it would come to this, but my back was against the wall. Actually, I just ran out of my favorite brown bean seasoning and was too lazy to go to the grocery store to get more. I despise going to the grocery store-too many people. My fantasy is to cook and just have the groceries to magically appear. Things seldom go my way.

With the little dried up pinto beans sitting in my crockpot waiting to be seasoned and cooked, I decided to see if there were seasoning recipes online. Of course there were. Not as many as I expected, but I found one that would work. It came from Carl Oberlender from The Tasty Kitchen: A Happy Recipe Community. I don't know how happy they really are but I was very pleased with his version, with a subtle tweaking of my own.

The bonus is most of these ingredients should be on your spice rack, or drawer, or shelf or wherever you keep yours. One or two may not, but they would come in handy in several other dishes so it would be a good investment, not just for this recipe. It's getting cold and a hot pot of beans is always a welcome addition to a good meal.

Here's the list:

Kosher salt, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and Cajun seasoning. Mr. Oberlender added sugar and I omitted that and added the Cajun seasoning. My hand has trouble adding sugar to dishes that are not dessert. Some might call that a handicap, I call it sensibility. Please don't confuse the powders with the salts. Garlic powder is not the same as garlic salt. You don't want your family or guests puckering when they get that first spoonful of beans. It will be too salty.

Don't think you can't just add plain old salt to your bean, because you can. But a little bit of flavor won't hurt those magical fruits! I even season canned beans because they are so sad from being stuck inside an aluminum can for so long.

I kept my empty bottle of Bolner's Fiesta Pinto Bean Seasoning. I have great forethought like that.

I used a funnel to pour it all through.

Try this and tell me what you think. You might have something to add to this to make it even better! I'd love to hear it.

Happy Cooking!

Pinto Bean Seasoning

6 Tsp Kosher Salt
3 Tbsp Cumin
2 Tbsp Chili powder
2 Tbsp Garlic powder
2 Tbsp Paprika
2 Tbsp Onion powder
2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning

Combine all seasonings in an airtight container, like a used spice cannister. Use 2 tablespoons of seasonings per pound of beans. Seasoning can be stored for up to 6 months.