We’ve had our annual neighborhood HOA meeting here on the mountain, which also included a potluck and lake party. The board members provided the hamburgers and hot dogs. Everyone brought either a side dish or a dessert. I decided on my Cowboy Beans. They are smoky, sweet, and a little spicy. Definitely a roller coaster for your taste buds! I’m glad I brought both pans to the party; they were a hit!

This recipe is perfect for a party and will feed a good-sized crowd.

Prep Time: 20 to 30 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: at least 8 hours to overnight
Cook Time: 3 to 4 hours
Total Time: 16 hours 30 minutes (includes inactive prep time)
Yields: 14 servings
Equipment: 1 (7-quart) Dutch oven with lid, chef’s knife, cutting board, large mixing  bowl, medium-size mixing bowl, rimmed baking sheet pan, wooden spoon, 2 disposable pans

Ingredients For Pinto Beans:
4 cups (2-1lb packages) of dried pinto beans, sort the beans for any stones or dirt, and rinse them
6 to 8 cups of cold water

Ingredients For Cowboy Beans:

Instructions For Prepping Dry Pinto Beans:
Rinse and sort beans in a large bowl. Let stand overnight or at least 6-8 hours. Drain the water and rinse the beans one final time.

Instructions For Roasting Poblano Peppers:
Preheat oven to 400º F.
While you are prepping all your ingredients for this dish, go ahead and roast the poblano peppers. Line a sheet pan with foil. Place the peppers on the sheet pan and cook for 20-30 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap. The steam inside the bowl will loosen the skins for easy peeling.

In the meantime, in a cold Dutch oven, add the diced bacon pieces. Turn the heat to medium and cook the bacon to the halfway point, rendering the fat.

Add the diced peppers, scallions, and onions to the pot and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the veggies have softened and developed some color, add the smoked Kielbasa and stir to combine. Add the pre-soaked beans and cover with water by 1 inch (refer to notes). Bring to a boil. Next, add the brown sugar, molasses, liquid smoke, maple syrup, ketchup, mustard, chili powder, Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and garlic. Reduce to a low heat and simmer. Place the lid on and cook until the beans are tender and the liquid has thickened. This will take anywhere from 3 to 4 hours.

I transferred and evenly divided the Cowboy Beans between two disposable pans because I’m taking them to our yearly meeting and potluck lunch down by the lake.

There you have it, my roller coaster for your taste buds, Cowboy Beans.

Notes:
1) The Cowboy beans travel well and can easily be reheated.

2) Yes, pinto beans are naturally gluten-free. They are a naturally occurring food that does not contain wheat, barley, or rye, which are the primary sources of gluten. However, it is important to be cautious of cross-contamination when purchasing beans, especially when buying from bulk bins where they might be mixed with gluten-containing grains. For safety, consider buying beans in sealed packages and checking labels to ensure they are gluten-free. Also, in this recipe, you would want to omit the smoked sausage and liquid smoke.

3) Drain the soaked beans and place them in a large pot. Add fresh water to cover the beans, typically about 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of beans. 

4) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.