Food Network Baked Beans with Swiss Chard

Growing up I hated beans, I mean really hated beans. My mom made beans multiple times a week hoping that I would grow to appreciate them eventually, I didn't. It took me until I was an adult to fall in love with the delicious flavor that beans can lend to dishes. I was pleasantly surprised when I first gave my two boys beans, they absolutely fell in love with them. Many times when I make a recipe that has beans as an ingredient, the beans are the part of the dish that is eaten, the rest of isn't touched by my two sons. The July/August issue of the Food Network Magazine had a recipe for Baked Beans with Swiss Chard, which looked like a nutritious bean dish that my whole family would love.

This recipe has 15 ingredients, including salt and pepper. The total time is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes, 20 minutes of which is active. The majority of the time is in the oven, the actual prep work is minimal. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store, with the exception of a 15-oz can of whole tomatoes. The only size available was 28 oz, so I used by kitchen scale to measure the correct amount for the recipe. Additionally, I have never actually seen Swiss chard at any of the stores in my area, so I substituted mustard greens, as the recipe suggested. Finally, I chose to use smoked ham over turkey, I prefer the flavor. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

My husband and I really liked this dish (the pictures didn't turn out very well and don't do it justice). I liked that it has mustard greens and beans, which are a great healthy combination. As expected, my two boys picked out the beans and didn't want to try the rest. Make sure to adequately salt the dish, it will need a decent amount of salt. Overall, a great way to get more nutrition into your family's diet, with minimal effort.

For the recipe go to Food Network Magazine Baked Beans with Swiss Chard.