- 6
- 10 mins
- 370 mins
Ingredients
- 12 oz 12 oz of dried pinto beans (this is about 2 cups of dried beans)
- 1 Tbsp 1 Tbsp salt (for soaking)
- 2 (8 oz) can 2 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp 2 Tbsp molasses
- 1/2 tsp 1/2 tsp salt
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 6 pieces 6 pieces of crispy cooked bacon, cut into quarter inch pieces
Preparation
Step 1
I must admit that as a child I really loved pork and beans. Loved them. Even now I still do. You know the kind that comes in a can? I love the tomato based sauce and the not too sweet flavor. I’m not a huge fan of my baked beans being super sweet. So I decided to create my own version at home. I wanted to make everything from scratch so I decided to use dried beans. The slow cooker is the perfect tool to cook dried beans. It’s soooo easy and they turn out well if you use a couple of suggestions.
I know there are recipes that say you don’t need to but I find that the beans turn out much better if they are soaked overnight. I also suggest adding a tablespoon of
Don’t add any acidic ingredients until the beans are tender
. The minute you add anything tomato- based those beans are going to firm up immediately. So if you’re making chili or soup with diced tomatoes wait until the beans are tender before you add them into the slow cooker.
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Yields
6 pieces of crispy cooked bacon, cut into quarter inch pieces
In a large bowl place the dried beans (sort out any dirt or rocks). Add enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Add in 1 Tbsp of salt. Let the beans soak overnight for at least 8 hours. The beans will expand so make sure you have enough water and a big enough bowl.
After the beans have soaked, pour the beans into a colander and rinse off the beans. Place the rinsed beans into the slow cooker. Add in 4 cups of water.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or until beans are to the desired tenderness. Drain off any extra water.
Add in 2 cans of tomato sauce, Dijon mustard, molasses, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir. Add in the bacon and gently stir.
Serve immediately or turn the slow cooker to warm and serve at your leisure. The beans will stay good on warm for up to 3 hours.