98 day bean recipes

This Christmas pudding has plenty of delicious fruit and nuts, but it's really simple to make - just plan ahead and then make the warm vanilla-bean custard on the day.

Loaded chili built on three meats, ground beef, hot Italian sausage, and smoked sausage, with kidney beans, a layered hit of serrano and habanero heat, and a splash of red wine. Thickened with cornmeal and tastes even better the next day.

Along the coast of the Southern US eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a year filled with luck and prosperity. The beans symbolize coins or pennies. Sometimes a penny is added to the pot or can be left under the bowls of Hoppin' John. Greens such as Collards, chard or kale can be added and symbolize the color of money and are said to add to ones wealth in the new year. The day after New Year's Day the leftovers are called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality. A common tradition in the south US is each person at the meal should leave three peas on their plate to ensure the New Year will be filled with Luck, Fortune and Romance. Another tradition holds that counting the number of peas in a serving predicts the amount of luck (or wealth) that will be collected over the next year.

Slow cooker navy bean soup with ham hocks or chicken, potatoes, carrots, celery, and thyme. A hearty crockpot bean soup that simmers all day and freezes well.

Four-bean salad marinated for two days in a sweet wine vinegar and cider vinegar dressing with tarragon and basil. Green beans, wax beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas layered with sliced onion rings.

Homestead salad with mixed vegetables and kidney beans in a cooked sweet vinegar dressing with mustard. Make a day ahead for the best flavor.

Vegetarian barley-vegetable soup: pearl barley simmered in tomato broth with carrots, celery, onions, and green beans, finished with fresh dill. A hearty meatless pot that gets better on day two.

Crunchy, zesty Texas caviar loaded with black beans, pinto beans, corn, bell peppers, jalapeno, and cilantro in a tangy rice vinegar dressing. The ultimate game day dip for a crowd.

Slow cooker pinto bean soup with smoky ham hock and pasta simmered all day until thick and soul-warming. Set it in the morning, crush the beans, and serve a crowd.

Firehouse-style chili with 2 pounds of ground beef, pinto beans, and smoky cumin. Serve over spaghetti Cincinnati-style or with crackers for game day.

Vegetarian chili with soybeans and wheat berries instead of traditional kidney beans. Simmered with fresh tomatoes, jalapeno, red bell pepper, and warm spices. Better the next day.

White bean chili with turkey, tomatillos, green chiles, and a cilantro yogurt cream. A leaner Southwest twist on red chili that tastes even better the next day.

Layered Creole vegetable casserole with okra, lima beans, corn, peppers, and tomato, topped with crumb-coated sautéed okra. A vegetarian gumbo-inspired bake that gets better the next day.

Slow cooker black bean and potato soup with diced ham, jalapenos, cumin, oregano, thyme, and cloves in a beef broth base. Dump everything in the crockpot and let it cook all day.

Slow-simmered pinto beans with salt pork, red chili pepper, tomato paste, cumin, and chili powder. An old-school chuck wagon recipe that cooks all day and feeds eight hungry hands.

Hearty bazaar vegetable soup with split peas, pearl barley, lima beans, carrots, onion, and dill simmered low and slow until thick and stew-like. Old-fashioned comfort soup for cold days.