Monterrey Beans & Rice

My parents used to make this dish when I was growing up and even though I never liked it much as a kid, it really grew on me as I hit adulthood.  When Steven and I got married it was one of my go-to recipes and a regular in our dinner rotation.  Since then, I've had to adjust the ingredients a bit because I can no longer have the cheese it originally called for.  Even though I really miss the original flavor with the cheese in it, we still like it quite a bit without it.  It's surprisingly unique and loaded with nutritious peppers, onions, tomatoes, red kidney beans and topped off with salty, crumbled bacon.  Makes excellent leftovers too!    

Monterrey Beans & Rice
Adapted from More-With-Less
Yield: 5 - 6 servings
Time: 45 minutes - 1 hour

INGREDIENTS:
1-3 Tablespoons bacon grease
3 cups cooked red kidney beans
1 pound tomatoes (about 2 cups diced)
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
12 ounces or 6-12 slices bacon
optional: 1/4-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
to serve: 2 cups brown rice (uncooked)

DIRECTIONS:
Start your rice first since it takes the longest to cook.  

Next, cook up your bacon slices according to your preferred method.  A couple years ago I discovered cooking bacon in the oven on a baking sheet and have never looked back.  It's so much easier this way!  My method is similar to this one here, except I do a slightly higher temperature and use parchment paper.  I reserve several tablespoons of bacon grease for cooking the veggie and bean mixture because it adds extra flavor :)

Dice the tomatoes, then cut the onions and peppers into very thin slices and halve.  You can also dice them up like the tomatoes so they blend in better, especially if you're feeding any veggie-averse folks :)

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onions in bacon grease until translucent.  Add the diced tomatoes, kidney beans, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes.  Add the green pepper and simmer for another 10-15 minutes until the peppers are cooked to your liking.  I like to leave them with a slight crunch, especially since we eat this as leftovers that get re-heated.

Just after adding the peppers, tear the cooked bacon slices into small pieces and toss into the pan.  I like using lots of bacon in mine because it adds more flavor and protein, but the original recipe with the cheese in it only calls for two pieces.  You can decide what you prefer :)  If you're trying the cheese: simply stir it in at this point so it gets all melted and mixed around well.

Serve over brown rice.

NOTE
If you use canned tomatoes with salt added, be sure to add a little less salt to your recipe!