Cowboy Beans

My picky child is into beans, so I made these as sort of a meal meets side? She was intrigued to scoop them up with corn chips; the rest of us had them as a side with chicken and rice.

There is something meaty about beans cooked from scratch, but I don’t always think ahead for the soak (it really does help!) and cook time. For a shortcut, replace the dry beans with about two 14 oz. cans of pinto beans, reserving the can liquid to use in place of the bean broth. Skip the dry-bean cooking paragraph and start with the skillet vegetables. Add the canned beans and about ½ cup of reserved liquid with the salsa, then heat through before garnishing.