Great Beans Come from Your Crockpot
Crock-pots and slow-cookers are great ways to cook beans. Beans are always better when cooked slow so the cookers and beans just naturally go together. Here are some excellent bean recipes for your cooker. Each of these recipes has an ingredient that sets them apart from most recipes of their type. The baked beans make use of maple syrup for just a touch of that yummy maple flavor. The Lima beans use a can of tomato soup in their ingredients; again just a touch of different flavor. While there is confusion on whether black-eyed peas are beans or not, I am including a good recipe for Southern Black-Eyed Peas here.
Great Northern Baked Beans
Ingredients:
- 4 slices bacon (chopped)
- 3 cans (15 to 16-oz each Great Northern Beans)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp molasses
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/3 cup diced tomatoes
Directions:
Toss the chopped bacon in a skillet and cook until almost done (do not fry too crispy), stirring occasionally. Drain bacon on paper toweling then place in slow cooker or crock-pot. Add the beans, water, onion, garlic, maple syrup, molasses, salt, dry mustard, pepper, bay leaf, and tomatoes. Place lid on the cooker and cook on low approximately 8 hours. Be sure to remove bay leaf before serving.
Ham and Lima Beans
Ingredients:
- 1 lb dry lima beans (soaked overnight in water)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1 large green bell pepper (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 lb cubed cooked ham
- 1 cup water
- 1 can tomato soup
Directions:
Drain the beans and place in the crock-pot or slow-cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and stir together to mix well. Place lid on cooker and cook on low setting 8 to 10 hours or on high setting 4 to 5 hours.
May I suggest serving these beans with a piece of hot buttered cornbread? Yummy!
Southern Black-Eyed Peas
Ingredients:
- 1 lb dried black-eyed peas (soak overnight covered in water)
- 4 cups water
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion (chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- 2 ham hocks
Directions:
Drain the soaked black-eyed peas and place in the crock-pot or slow cooker. Top the beans with the ham hocks. Cover with the water and add the salt, pepper, onion, and celery. Place the lid on the cooker and cook on high 1 to 2 hours then lower heat to low and cook for 8 hours.
NOTE: Delicious served with hot (brown for health reasons) rice and cornbread!
Enjoy!
The Author:
You will find more of Linda’s slow cooker and crockpot recipe, she also shares her large collection of old fashion recipes at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com
Photo. Groovelanddesigns
