M.E.S.S.I.E. Black Beans

These beans are a great side dish with beef ribs or other hearty beef dishes. I asked my wife for a suggestion of what to call the dish and she suggested naming it after a group (Mysteriously Eclectic Society of Scientists, Inventors and Explorers) that is a spin-off from our carnivorous plant club. Exactly why she suggested this name is a mystery to me, but I like the sound of it, so that is what this dish is now called.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 medium onions
• 1 chicken bratwurst (or other sausage) about ¼ lb.
• 19.75 oz. can of whole black beans
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp freshly ground peppercorns
• ¼ tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)

Instructions

1. Put the oil into a sauce pan and heat.
2. Clean and dice the onions into pieces about ½″ x ½″.
3. Slice the sausage into pieces about ¼″ thick.
4. Add the sausage and onions to the pan and sauté until the onions are just start to brown.
5. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan.
6. Cook uncovered (about 10 minutes) until the bean mixture is thick. Stir frequenty while cooking to keep the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning while it thickens.