Dinner Recipe: Slow Cooker Baked Beans

Until last week I really hated baked beans.  I hated almost every type of legume out there, in fact.  But beans are the right thing to do (cheap, protein) and I really wanted to smugly tell my child that I liked beans.

But, hello, baked beans are the closest thing to candy that I’ve had for an entrée.  So when we had half a pot left over and Ryan fled town, I was delighted to eat them with fresh bread and butter for breakfast and lunch the following two days.

I’ve also discovered that in order to use my slow cooker, I don’t have to use my whole slow cooker.  Instead, I use a smaller oven proof casserole dish that I place in my slow cooker.  I simply add water to the slow cooker to help maintain the heat in the casserole dish and cook for slightly longer than I would with my “whole” slow cooker.  This means that I don’t have to make huge portions when Walt prefers to wedge his food between this meaty thighs than eat it.

Slow Cooker Baked Beans

• 2 cups of dried white beans (I used pinto)
• 3 pieces of bacon, halved width-wise (6 pieces in total)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 1 tbsp of mustard

Directions

• Add beans to a sauce pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let set covered for 1 hour.  Drain.
• Place 3 pieces of the bacon on the bottom of a casserole dish, with a lid.
• Pour beans into casserole dish.
• Combine remaining ingredients into a small bowl or liquid measuring cup.  Blend/Stir/Whisk.
• Pour sauce over beans.
• Place remaining bacon over top.
• Cover casserole and place in slow cooker.  Add water to around casserole dish until it’s 2/3 up the sides.
• Cook on high for 3 hours; low for 4 more hours.
• In order to thicken the sauce, an hour before the dish is done I blend 1 tbsp of flour with 2 tbsp of water to create a paste.  I then stir in the paste.

Tags: bacon, beans, casserole, legumes, slow cooker