Mexican Pork n’ Beans

When I was leaving the Home and Garden Show in Salt Lake City on Sunday, I smelled Mexican food on the gentle evening breeze.  It perked up my lost appetite. But dinner plans were made, and Mexican was not on the agenda.  I know that In n’ Out has a secret menu, but tacos and burritos are not on it.

However, being gone this weekend meant I didn’t do my weekly trip to the market.  I had to make do with what I had on hand because I know I didn’t have the time to run to the store.  I must confess that this is the challenge I love.  To make something delicious out of thin air with only on-hand ingredients.  I should note that my coffers are not bare.  I have plenty of staples on hand, so it’s not like I was looking at a can of cat food, some mustard, jam, and a bag of pretzels.  (I don’t have a cat either, so that can of cat food would be rather alarming.)Whatever I was going to make had to be super fast.  I couldn’t afford to spend too much time in the kitchen, as I needed to get back to work.  And it had to be Mexican.  Of course I could have just opened a can of refried beans and called it good.  But where’s the fun in that?

Then a thought came to me and I ran with it.  I grabbed a bunch of ingredients and concocted a Mexican version of Pork n’ Beans.  By far, this episode of “what can she make?” was a raging success.  Flavor, healthy―mostly there is bacon in it, seasonings and spices, and high in protein.  It was a perfect meal for me and a perfect side dish for you.

This was quick meal because I already had cooked bacon. When I make something and only use a few pieces of bacon, I will cook all of it and have it ready to go for another meal.