Buttermilk Cornbread in Cast Iron Skillet

Bake some cornbread with a twist! This Buttermilk Cornbread is beyond good served warm from a cast iron skillet. Brown the butter first for a fantastic flavor.

Potato Salad with Chickpea Aquafaba Mayo

A lighter potato salad with chickpea aquafaba mayo, mustard, herbs, and veggies for a flavorful plant-based side.

Cauliflower Lima Bean Au Gratin

Or, for a lighter option, whip up a cheesy Cauliflower Lima Bean Au Gratin with fresh cauliflower, lima beans, creamy cheese sauce, and crispy breadcrumbs on top.

Southern Summer Succotash

No southern meal is complete without succotash. This Southern Summer Succotash features fresh veggies like corn, okra, peppers, onion sautéed in bacon drippings, and lima beans.

Lady Pea Salad

Salads are always a hit at potlucks. Lady Pea Salad combines lady cream peas, fresh herbs, lettuce, and a bright vinaigrette for a simple yet satisfying salad.

Zippy Lentil Salad

For heartier flavor, try Zippy Lentil Salad with collard greens, chopped veggies, olives, and a lemon-herb dressing over lentils.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Black Bean Aquafaba

A perfectly moist chocolate zucchini bread made with whipped black bean aquafaba for a fluffy texture and fudgy crumb.

If you’re not familiar with meal prepping, it’s simply a thoughtful way to plan out several days worth of meals for you and your family. And what’s not to love about that idea? It’s like taking the age-old question “what’s for dinner?” and turning it on its head.

In the spirit of making life a little less stressful and a little more delicious, our take on meal-prepping involves a collection of versatile recipes that 1) can be easily made ahead of time (Sunday afternoon, here’s looking at you!), 2) make a lot of servings, 3) keep well in the fridge, 4) offer a variety of flavors, colors and textures, and 5) can be combined in creative ways, so that you don’t feel like you’re eating the same thing every day.

Read on for the recipes, a game plan with tips on preparing, extras you’ll want to have on hand, and how to create different combinations throughout the week that will keep things tasty and interesting.

MEAL PREPPING RECIPES:

Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili

White Bean Hummus

Cowboy Caviar

Buttermilk Cornbread

Greens

EXTRAS:

• Additional veggies like grape tomatoes, avocado, bell pepper, green onions, jalapenos, celery sticks, baby carrots, and olives
• Grains and breads like rice, pasta, tortillas, pita bread, chips and crostini
• Dairy/cheeses such as cheddar, feta, sour cream or Greek yogurt

GAME PLAN:

• Familiarize yourself with the recipes, and make a grocery list. Set aside a few hours of weekend time to shop, chop, and cook. Make sure you have lots large food storage containers on hand.
• Note that the chili is made entirely in the Instant Pot, while the hummus and cowboy caviar are cold dishes made with pre-cooked, cooled beans.
• Use your Instant Pot or a pressure cooker as much as possible. Or, multi-task by cooking one batch of beans in the Instant Pot while cooking another batch on the stovetop.
• Feel free to double the White Bean Hummus recipe, which calls for 2 cups cooked Camellia Brand Great Northern Beans. (Cook the entire 1-pound package, and you’ll have 4 cups cooked beans.)
• Cook a batch of your favorite rice and a pound of your chosen pasta. They’ll keep well in the fridge, re-heat easily, and are part of our recommended meal combos.
• The Greens recipe is simple and customizable. Any dark leafy greens will work, such as kale or mustard greens. Cooked greens keep well, can be eaten cold, room-temp, or warmed, and add a healthy punch to meal combos.

MEALS & MEAL COMBOS:

Buttermilk Cornbread in Cast Iron Skillet

Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili served hot, topped with cheddar, sour cream, and jalapenos — and yummy Buttermilk Cornbread on the side.

Pinto Bean Chili Burrito Bowl

A combo of hot and cool, ladle warm Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili over rice. Add colorful grape tomatoes, half of a sliced avocado, a sprinkling of chopped green onions, and a hunk of Buttermilk Cornbread.

Pinto Bean Chili Nachos

Spread layers of tortilla chips on a sheet pan, top with dollops of Instant Pot Pinto Bean Chili and layers of shredded cheese. Broil until browned, and sprinkle with grape tomatoes, avocado, green onions and cilantro.

Mediterranean Bowl

A colorful mixture of White Bean Hummus, Collard Greens, and rice (served cold or room-temp — your choice), plus grape tomatoes, olives, and crostini – which are great for dipping/spreading the hummus.

Hummus & Greens Wrap

White Bean Hummus, Collard Greens, julienned bell peppers, and feta, all wrapped up in a large tortilla and served with crunchy crudité like celery sticks and baby carrots.

Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad

Mix Cowboy Caviar with cold pasta and additional chopped cilantro for a fast, easy lunch.  (The Cowboy Caviar marinates in a nice dressing. Be sure to scoop some  dressing from the bottom of the storage container to toss with the pasta.) A sprinkling of feta cheese is a nice addition.

Peas & Greens Trio Bowl

Cowboy Caviar, Collard Greens and Buttermilk Cornbread, all in one bowl. (Served cold or room-temp – your choice.)

Peas, Greens & Hummus Pita Sandwich

Line a pita pocket with White Bean Hummus, and fill with Collard Greens and Cowboy Caviar for a quick bite.

Red bean lovers are nothing if not opinionated about the ingredients they must have on hand to make their beloved red beans. But what about the mandatory accompaniments to a bowl of red beans and rice – such as the bread used to sop up all that goodness? Some insist on squares of homemade cornbread with their red beans and rice, while others prefer a light, airy, and crusty French bread made by local New Orleans’ purveyors such as Leidenheimer’s or Reising’s. And still others are happy with either or both on their plate.

When it comes to New Orleans restaurants, Joey K’s serves their red beans and rice with a basket of sliced French bread and butter, while Willie Mae’s serves their red beans with cornbread muffins. No matter your personal preference, all we know is that the tradition of breaking bread with family and friends is one that we can all get behind.

Try our favorite Buttermilk Cornbread recipe:

And read what red bean fans have to say about the issue:

“Lots of love, and killer cornbread on the side!!!”
– Bobby S.

“Serve over rice with a little hot sauce, fried Chicken, and fresh French bread!”
– Daphine J.

“When you sit around Johnson’s table… you’re not supposed to fiddle with your phone. You talk. You meet people. You drink. You eat. You remember what it’s like to connect with strangers over a meal.” –  The Washington Post

Pableaux Johnson leads the “shenanigans” and serves his guests Red Beans & Rice made with Camellia Brand Red Kidney Beans.

RED BEANS ROAD SHOW “TEXAS TWO-STEP” POP-UP SUPPERS:

August 18  – San Antonio, Texas: Cured at Pearl  

On August 18, 2019, Pableaux Johnson will make his way to the heart of San Antonio, collaborating with chef Steve McHugh of Cured at Pearl, for a one-night-only, New Orleans-style gastronomic gathering. A homecoming of sorts – Johnson is an alumnus of Trinity University – the family-style feast commences at 6:30 p.m., with the sit-down, 3-course feast beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets for the Red Beans Roadshow at Cured are available for $55++ per person, and include a home-style, three-course meal, featuring an appetizer of Fried Quail Legs with Local Honey and Rosemary, followed by Red Beans and Rice, Cornbread, Fried Apple Cajeta Hand Pie for dessert, and wine and beer. Vegan and vegetarian options are also available, upon request. Seating is limited. Purchase tickets in advance online here.

Keeping community first, a portion of the evening’s proceeds will go to support Cured’s current Gastro Giving recipient, Say Sí – a leading youth development organization that is committed to creating a premier, inclusive, dynamic, and nurturing educational environment for San Antonio’s young people

August 20 – Dallas, Texas: Café Momentum

On August 20, Pableaux Johnson will make his way to the heart of downtown Dallas, collaborating with host chefs Chad Houser and Aaron “Fuzz” Collins of Café Momentum, for a one-night-only, New Orleans-style gastronomic gathering. The family-style feast commences at 6:30 p.m., with the sit-down, 3-course feast beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets for the Red Beans Roadshow at Café Momentum are available for $55++ per person, and include a home-style, three-course meal, featuring starters of Deviled Eggs Two Ways: Classic and State Fair Style, and Crab Cakes with Creole Rémoulade, followed by Red Beans and Rice, Cornbread, Louisiana Bread Pudding with Bourbon Crème Anglaise for dessert, beverages from Austin East Ciders, as well as wine and beer. Vegan and vegetarian options are also available, upon request. Seating is limited. Purchase tickets in advance online here.

Keeping community first, a portion of the evening’s proceeds will go to support Café Momentum’s mission, dedicated to transforming young lives by equipping the community’s most at-risk youth with life skills, education, and employment opportunities to help them achieve their full potential.

Hungry for more details? Here’s everything you need to know about the Red Beans Road Show:

Good, Simple Food & New Friends

Louisiana food writer, photographer and “general n’er-do-well” Pableaux Johnson meets up with local restaurant chefs in each town or city he visits, to host an informal, family-style feast featuring “good, simple food, camaraderie and appropriate misbehavior.” 

Pableaux Is a Hoot!

Buy your tickets and show up to eat, drink and shoot the breeze with culinary and culture enthusiasts. As ringleader and organizer of the shenanigans, Pableaux gives a short presentation on Louisiana foodways that will leave you hankering for all things Louisiana, and then it’s a fun night of breaking bread (Pableaux’s grandpa’s skillet cornbread, that is), eating down-home, delicious food and drinking a cold beer with a roomful of friendly strangers. 

Local Chefs Are in on It

Pableaux cooks his signature Red Beans & Rice made with Camellia Brand Red Kidney Beans, and his local chef partners serve up a simple starter (like deviled eggs or hand pies) and a dessert (like bread pudding or homemade pie). 

BBQ baked beans are an essential side dish at the best summer backyard barbecues. Here, you’ll find 6 stand-out, homemade versions that’ll round out any menu and make you ditch any notion of going the canned route. Plus, you get way more bang for you buck using dried beans vs. canned. Featuring a variety of beans, these easy-to-make, pinnable recipes go for deep, distinctive flavor – whether smoky, tangy, slightly sweet, or spicy – and are perfectly seasoned to bring out the best in grilled, smoked, or slow-cooked meats. And a couple are made in the slow cooker, so you can’t get any easier than that. Add one to your line up or bring it to a potluck — along with this incredible Buttermilk Cornbread recipe that complements them all — and guests will keep coming back for more.

Slow Cooker Bourbon Maple BBQ Beans

The key ingredients in this delicious vegetarian recipe are Camellia Brand Great Northern Beans (you can also use Navy Beans or Pintos), bourbon, molasses, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, mustard powder, ketchup, dark brown sugar, and barbecue rub. And because it’s made in a slow cooker, it’s simple to throw together. The bourbon gives the dish richness, maple syrup and brown sugar give it sweetness, and even though it takes 10 hours to cook, it’s totally worth the wait. So set it, and forget it! Just be sure to sauté the veggies before adding them to the slow cooker. (You can skip this step if you must, but the deep flavor won’t be the same). Pair the finished dish with savory mains like barbecue chicken and ribs.

Slow Cooker Charro Beans

Flavored with bacon, garlic, tomatoes, green chiles, cilantro, spices and a bottle of amber beer, frijoles charros (cowboy beans) made with Camellia Brand Pinto Beans are served warm and soupy. A traditional dish named for Mexican horsemen, or charros, this recipe is an amazing accompaniment to pulled pork sandwiches with crunchy coleslaw. Smoky and tangy, it’s a cinch to make because the slow cooker does all the work, and it’s a fantastic way to feed a crowd.

Chipotle Baked Beans

Featuring Camellia Navy (Pea) Beans, bacon, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, red onion, dark brown sugar, ketchup and mustard, this smoky dish comes together quickly. Cook the navy beans ahead of time and refrigerate (a day or two ahead is fine), then when you’re ready, mix all the ingredients together, pour into a casserole dish, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbling. So fast and easy, the dish goes great with hot dogs, brats, and more.

Cowboy Beans & Rice

This effortless, hearty casserole — when paired with our Buttermilk Cornbread — can be a meal all by itself, or you can serve it along side your other backyard BBQ favorites. Simply cook ground beef, chopped onion, and chopped green bell pepper together on the stovetop, and then combine in a baking dish with rice, seasonings, water, cooked Camellia Brand Pinto Beans, tomato juice, and green chiles. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, and enjoy!

Colonel Vincent’s Southern-Style Baked Beans

In this super tasty baked bean dish, Camellia Brand Navy (Pea) Beans are slowly simmered with a hambone, onion, bell pepper, and seasonings until tender. Then the hambone is removed, and the beans get spiked with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar, and layered in a casserole dish with strips of bacon. Baked for 1 1/2 – 2 hours in a 350 degree oven, they come out both sweet and savory. Made the true southern way – low and slow!

Elizabeth’s Perfectly Pink BBQ Beans

Talk about a rich, delicious recipe with a kick! This dish features Camellia Brand Pink Beans (similar to Pintos, but smaller and rounder), salt pork or ham hock, chili powder, dry mustard, sugar, molasses and onion. Simmered to perfection and lip-smacking good, these BBQ beans offer big flavor and pair well with everything from ribs to burgers. An old family recipe of Elizabeth Hayward’s (a matriarch of the Hayward family), it has been enjoyed at family get-togethers for generations.

Buttermilk Cornbread

What would BBQ baked beans be without sweet cornbread to sop up the goodness? That’s why you need this Buttermilk Cornbread recipe baked in what else, but a cast iron skillet, of course. Taking a few extra moments to brown the butter gives the recipe depth, and the end result is delightful for breakfast and as the perfect complement to your baked beans. Like it sweeter? Add a bit more maple, honey, or agave to suit your palate.

Your summer backyard barbecues are about to get a whole lot tastier!