Baked Barbecue Black Eyed Peas

Baked Barbecue Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients:


1 lb dry black-eyed peas (of which I used about 4 of the resulting 5 cups of beans post-soak) or 5 cans beans

1/2 green bell pepper – chopped

10 sweet mini peppers (or the other 1/2 of the green bell) – chopped

1 jalapeno – seeded and chopped (optional)

4 garlic cloves – chopped

1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce

2 TBS red wine vinegar

2 TBS lime juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

1-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – minced (use as much as your heat tolerance allows)

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 agave nectar (or honey – if you are not vegan)

1 TBS ground cumin

1 teaspoon dry thyme

3 TBS Dijon or other spicy mustard

1 bottle dark beer 


1/4 cup Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey 


Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

If using dry beans soak them & then bring them back to a boil & allow to simmer for an hour while you get the other ingredients prepped.  Before draining the beans  reserve a cup of the bean water. Measure out 4 cups of beans. Or just open & drain the cans of beans.

Chop the mini peppers, garlic & jalapeno.  In a large bowl combine all the remaining ingredients except the beans & reserved bean water.

Spray a large (9×12)  baking dish with cooking spray & put the black-eyed peas in there and poured the liquid on top. Bake for two hours, stirring occasionally & add some of the reserved bean water to thin it a few times.  You may or may not choose to do this depending on how much liquid you like in your beans.

Butternut Squash & Ricotta Casserole

Butternut Squash & Ricotta Casserole

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, cubed

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups egg noodles

1 cup ricotta cheese

For the bechamel sauce:

1 tablespoon butter

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/4 teaspoon dried mustard

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon flour

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan


Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400˚F.

Coat a sheet pan with a drizzle of vegetable oil, and evenly distribute the cubed butternut squash and onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then bake for 20 minutes or until the edges of the onion have started to brown.

While the butternut squash is roasting, boil and drain the pasta, placing it in a 9-inch casserole.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, add the garlic, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the dried mustard, paprika, salt, pepper, and flour, stirring to melt it into the butter. Cook for an additional minute and then add the milk, whisking until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and add the parmesan cheese.

Scatter the roasted butternut squash mixture over the noodles and then dollop the ricotta cheese over the top in big scoops.

Pour the béchamel sauce over the casserole and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with additional parmesan cheese.