Granny's Cowboy Beans

Now that Spring is here, we finally have some winter weather, what a crazy year. It's days like these where a pot of beans cooking on the stove warms the house and the belly!

This is our grandmother's recipe, Ione Teeter Holm. She used to cook up a huge pot of these beans for the hungry cowboys on round-ups at the Circle H Ranch up on Mines Road, southeast of Livermore. Before my grandparents moved up to the hills, she would cook the beans at home on Stanley Boulevard, wrap them up to keep them warm, and drive the 15 miles up the hill to the ranch with a big green salad, some french bread, and her famous huge chocolate cake. The hungry cowboys loved Granny's Cowboy Beans, and so did we! ~Nancy Calhoun Mueller

1½  pounds ground beef

1 bell pepper, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 or 3 stalks celery, diced

2 (28-ounce) cans kidney beans

1 quart stewed tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Dash chili powder (optional)

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the beef, bell pepper, onion, and celery. Transfer the beef and sautéed vegetables into a large pot. Add the kidney beans and tomatoes, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until the beans are cooked and the flavors have melded.

Serves 8

Recipe from The Holm Family Cookbook