Anasazi “baked potato” Beans

Anasazi Boutique Beans
Baked Potato Style:
Butter, Sour Cream, Chives, Bacon

These are Anasazi Beans. Some say they were found in a cave by archaeologists during a dig in New Mexico and carbon dated to be 1500 years old. For this reason they are also called Cave Beans. Others say that settlers at the turn of the last century found this bean in the Anasazi ruins and cultivated it in lands where the Anasazi lived. Interesting. All I can tell you is that these are very tasty beans. And this recipes rocks!


You might have read my recent post on Black Calypso Beans, and that some people think that bean tastes like a baked potato? So it gave me the idea to serve beans prepared in the style of a baked potato. Here, the tender warm heirloom beans are tossed in melted butter in a fry pan. Add coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper, chopped bacon and chives (or finely sliced scallions). Serve topped with sour cream. It’s really good.
Side note: I considered saying bacon is optional. I guess in many recipes, the author writes that a certain ingredient is optional, but the recipe will still turn out OK if you omit it. But of course, it will be different. You can omit bacon. That’s OK. You can omit the sour cream, or the butter, or the chives. I guess the only thing you cannot omit is the beans. Is it helpful to say an ingredient is optional? Your thoughts?

22 thoughts on “Anasazi “baked potato” Beans”

  1. Mmm… That looks delicious. I love your bean posts!

    I’m usually very bad about “following” recipes, treating just about any ingredient or guideline as optional. Unless I’m really trying to recreate something, I generally just use recipes as starting off points for whatever works for me based on what ingredients I have available and/or feel like making.

  2. No, no, I won’t omit the bacon and the sour cream, are kidding. That’s what make this bean taste like heaven on earth (well, at least to me).
    Cheers,
    Elra

  3. They say we need more beans in our diet, so this is the same effects of a potato, but healthier. Great idea!

  4. I like the option to experiment, it sounds like most everyone here does too, but Lori Lynn, i think i’ll follow this recipe exactly!
    thank you for sharing 🙂
    love, Lori

  5. Wow, another bean I am not familiar with .. I have to start searching for a store that carries a wider variety of beans.

  6. I going to look for these beans and make this dish. I however don’t think the bacon should be optional.

  7. There’s a part of your brain that thinks up the most interesting things. This recipe is wonderful and looks like you could chalk up 10 gm fibre in a dish. I love it.

  8. I don’t think you need to necessarily say something is optional. People are going to adjust according to their tastes regardless. Like with this recipe, I would add sour cream to mine, but serve Steve’s first without it since he doesn’t like it. But I’d still want to see the ingredient there on the list.

    These do look absolutely amazing, Lori. Thanks for a wonderful idea.

  9. Baked potato beans? Yum. These look so good. I hope I can find some so I can try them.

    My take on optional ingredients: Obviously, the dish is not going to taste the same, so why say it’s optional when it really isn’t to remain true to the dish?

  10. I’ll be searching for these beans now! Everytime I come here I add a new ingredient to my list! Remember the white miso? Got it!

  11. These sound delicious – they sound like a meal in themselves!

    I love your blog, your photos are beautiful!

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