Beans and cornbread, fried potatoes, onion

Here’s a classic Southern-style meal with beans, cornbread, and fried potatoes with onions—simple, hearty, and full of flavor. I’ll give step-by-step recipes for each component.

1. Southern-Style Beans

Ingredients (serves 4–6)

• 2 cups dried pinto beans (or 3–4 cups cooked/canned beans)
• 1 smoked ham hock or 4 slices of bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups water or chicken broth
• 1 tsp salt (adjust at the end)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika or chili powder (optional)

Instructions

1. Prep Beans: If using dried beans, rinse and soak overnight (or quick soak: boil 5 min, then soak 1 hr).
2. Cook Beans: In a large pot, combine beans, ham hock/bacon, chopped onion, garlic, and water/broth.
3. Simmer: Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 1–2 hours (until beans are tender).
4. Season: Remove ham hock, shred meat, return to beans, discard bones. Add salt, pepper, and optional spices.

2. Southern Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar (optional)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.
2. In a bowl, mix dry ingredients: cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk milk, eggs, and melted butter.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients; mix until just combined.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 20–25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

3. Fried Potatoes with Onion

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, diced or sliced thin
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil or butter
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Optional: paprika, garlic powder, or fresh herbs

Instructions

1. Heat oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, 10–15 minutes until they start to soften.
3. Add sliced onions and cook another 5–7 minutes until potatoes are golden brown and onions are caramelized.
4. Season with salt, pepper, and optional spices.

Serving Suggestion

• Serve beans in a bowl with shredded ham, cornbread on the side, and a helping of fried potatoes with caramelized onions.
• Optional: drizzle a little hot sauce or butter over the cornbread for extra flavor.

If you want, I can make a shortcut version where the beans cook on the stove while the potatoes and cornbread are baking/frying, so the whole meal is ready at the same time.

Do you want me to do that?