Pancho's Beef Stick Limas

This casserole is slow food in the best sense. Dried lima beans soak overnight, simmer until nearly tender, then bake for 2 hours in a chili-spiced tomato sauce with cubed summer sausage (beef stick), onion, red bell pepper, and celery. A blanket of melted cheddar cheese on top seals the deal.

The low oven temperature is doing the real work here. Two hours at a gentle heat lets the bean liquid reduce into a thick, concentrated sauce while the limas absorb all that spice and tomato flavor. The beans go from firm to creamy and velvety without falling apart.

Brown sugar, dry mustard, and chili powder create a sweet-smoky-spicy sauce that’s closer to baked beans territory than a straightforward bean casserole. The summer sausage adds meaty, garlicky bites throughout.

Kitchen Tips

• Check the casserole every 30 minutes and add water if the beans look dry. The uncovered bake evaporates liquid faster than you’d expect.
• Don’t drain the bean cooking liquid before combining with the tomato sauce. That starchy liquid is what thickens the sauce as it bakes.
• Add the cheese in the last 5 to 10 minutes only. It just needs to melt, not bake and turn rubbery.

Variations

• Use kielbasa or smoked sausage instead of summer sausage for a smokier flavor.
• Swap lima beans for Great Northern beans or butter beans.
• Add a diced jalapeno to the saute for extra heat.