Hopping john

 
                                Hopping John
 
 Recipe By     : john-r-harmon@msn.com
 Serving Size  : 4    Preparation Time :0:30
 Categories    : Beans                            Main Dish
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
   10      slices        bacon -- crisp
                         (reserve bacon fat)
    2      cups          onion -- sliced
    3      cups          long-grain white rice
    1 1/2  quarts        water
    1      teaspoon      salt
    3      teaspoons     hot pepper sauce -- (Tobasco, Durkees)
    2      cans          Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
    2      cans          (red, kidney, pinto, black eyed peas,
                         chili beans in sauce, etc.)
 
 Cook bacon till crisp. Drain. Set aside.  Drain beans. Set aside.
 
 Sauté onions in 1 tablespoon of bacon grease till they start to soften. I
 like to use a bit higher heat and start to caramelize them for added color
 and flavor.
 
 Stir in rice, water, salt, hot pepper sauce and 1 can Rotel's tomatoes.
 Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring to keep rice off the bottom so as
 not to burn it. Cover, reduce heat and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
 Add beans and last can of Rotel tomatoes. Stir in thoroughly. Recover. Turn
 off heat. Let set for 15 minutes.
 
 Sprinkle crumbled bacon over top after serving.
 
 Harmon'ized for MasterCook on Jan 1, 1997
 john-r-harmon@msn.com
 Clackamas County Oregon, USA
 
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 Serving Ideas : Serve with pickled beets, cornbread, ABM or just by itself.
 
 NOTES : I like to microwave my bacon since it gets crisper w/o being as
 greasy. You can also substitute margarine or oil for bacon grease.
 
 This is a seat of the pants type of recipe. The end result will be
 determined by how spicy or how dry or how moist YOU like your rice. You may
 add or reduce hot spices as your tastes dictate. If you add liquid at the
 end of cooking and let is set, the rice will be softer and creamier. If you
 add the liquid (or beans) and cook for a total of 15 minutes or so, the rice
 will be more al dente.
 
 Variation #1:  Use chili beans in sauce (undrained) and delete Rotel
 Tomatoes.
 Variation #2:  Add boiled or grilled Hot Links or bratwurst during cooking
 for a main meal.
 
 This is usually made at our house when we can't think of what we want to
 eat. It is made on average every 10 days in the winter months. It is usually
 only around for 1 day plus a snack plate or two. It freezes and reheats
 well.