Hey You Guys! (Think Goonies!)

Gotcha! I have been AWOL for awhile BUT have not fallen off my rocker. This post is no ode to the deliciousness of Chick-Fil-A or McDonald's. We rarely eat at those joints because we hate how we feel after we are done noshing. I would bet you feel the same way but still need something as easy and convenient to turn to during those times you are caught in a meal crisis.

Perhaps you would like something easy, fast, affordable and good for you? We all do! Today I share my secret to keeping my family in as much fast food as they want. The only caveat is that this fast food comes from the freezer not a drive through.

The secret to fast food at our house is no longer a secret. Cupcake tins, silicone cupcake liners (BPA free of course ;) and a freezer bag hold the key to easy, fast, affordable and good for you.

Make the grub, freeze the grub then enjoy your healthy grub when you are in a pickle. This works well for all sizes of families and even college students. Freezing portions of delicious food keeps it from spoiling, keeps you with good for you options and is super convenient.

I’ve been freezing food like this since college. I started with spaghetti sauce and this recipe for Calico Beans was the second one to do the cupcake tin routine. Love that silicone cupcake liners have been invented since then!

This recipe is incredibly flexible. It halves or doubles with no problems. It can be made vegan or carnivore. You can even leave out the sugar (I have done that but didn’t like it as much).

Calico Beans

Brown:

5-6 strips of pre-cooked bacon- it will crisp up in the pot, don’t microwave it (optional)
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1 pound hamburger, ground turkey or ground chicken (optional)

Add:

2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 (15 oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 (15 oz) cans great white (northern) beans, NOT drained and rinsed
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, NOT drained and rinsed
1 tbsp Tabasco or Franks Hot Sauce
1 Tbsp dry mustard
1 Tbsp white vinegar
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp salt

Water, add enough to bring the liquid level just below the below the top of the beans. Bring to a boil then turn it down to simmer for 1 – 1 ½ hours (stir occasionally)…if you have less time to let it simmer it’s fine too. It gets tastier as the flavors all meld together.

We eat with saltines, a string cheese and clementine’s or oranges. The vitamin C from the oranges helps your body absorb the iron from the beans and ground meat too. Maybe that’s weird but it’s perfectly delicious. The kiddos eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Once it has cooled we scoop the leftovers into the silicone cupcake liners and freeze. Pop them out once they have frozen solid and store in a gallon bag. FAST FOOD for fall AT YOUR FINGERTIPS!!!

Thanks for reading!

Best,

Brooke