Cheese Beans

A recipe with good bones. I'm sure I'll be returning to it, with some tweaks perhaps to my ingredients and the recipe. Specifically, I cut the chili powder in half, to make sure my son would eat it. Not only will I use the whole amount next time, I might add something like a cubanelle pepper for a little more kick (and texture).

The mix of beans, cheese, tomato, and apple is like an interesting take on chili. Unfortunately, the Granny Smith apples I used were light on flavor. (Maybe that's what I get for buying apples in March in Ohio.) Next time, I might use a sweeter apple (although trying to keep the acidity and the way Granny Smith holds its shape).

Next time, I will also probably switch to a white bean, maybe Great Northern beans. This is not an appetizing recipe to look at. The red beans and light brown cooked apples just don't work for me.

This all sounds really critical, but it was hearty and rich, good for a main course (maybe served with rice) or a side dish (I enjoyed it with a pork loin roast). And it smells like a miracle coming out of the oven. I like it enough to make again, in fact, enough to put my own stamp on in future.