How to Cook Beans in a Slow Cooker

I have debated for quite awhile on whether or not I should post this. Beans in a slow cooker are a pretty easy thing to make and I change mine up a bit depending on what variety of beans I am cooking. Because of that this is going to be a bit longer than the average post.

Slow Cooker Beans

Recipe by Micha

How to cook beans in a slow cooker.

Prep time: 30 minutes plus overnight soak

Cook time: 6-8 hours

Total time: 6.5-8.5 hours plus overnight soak

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried beans
• 8 cups water
• 2 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt
• 1 Tablespoon oil or bacon fat
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 smail onion, diced OR
• 2 Tablespoons dried onion flakes
• To taste black pepper
• water for soaking and quick boiling

Cooking Directions

Sort through the beans and make sure to get rid of any rocks, twigs, or clumps of dirt. Place in a bowl and add enough water to cover the beans by two inches. Place in fridge overnight.

Drain beans and add to a stock pot. Cover with enough water to cover the beans by two inches. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 10-15 minutes. Drain and discard water. Boiling beans and discarding the water is advised to remove toxins slow cooking does not kill.

Place beans in slow cooker, add 8 cups water, salt, oil, garlic, onion and black pepper. Cook on high for 6-8 hours or until beans are tender checking occasionally to see if more water is needed .

Additional seasonings- If I am cooking Great Northern or Navy Beans to eat as “Soup beans” I like to add a ham bone or pieces of ham. If I’m cooking pintos for refried beans I’ve been known to add the juice from pickled jalapenos and for black beans about a teaspoon of cumin is excellent.

Use in your favorite recipes in place of canned beans.

To freeze: drain beans and package 1 3/4 to 2 cups of beans in freezer safe containers or bags. Label and freeze. Thaw overnight in refrigerator or until beans are no longer frozen. Use as needed.

Linked to Weekend Potluck

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Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches that can be made in a skillet or slow cooker.

I adore the combination of chicken and barbecue sauce. Some variation of that combination is what I make when I’m feeling uninspired come supper time.

This particular recipe is a tweak of my sloppy Joe recipe and came about when I had planned on making sloppy Joes only to discover the ground beef I thought was in the freezer had been used. I did, however, have some chicken breasts in the freezer. So I swapped the ketchup called for in the original recipe for barbecue sauce and a new family favorite was born.

Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

Recipe by Micha

Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches that can be made in a skillet or slow cooker.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 40-55 minutes stove top or 2 hours, 10 minutes to 4 hours, 10 minutes in a slow cooker

Total time: 1 hour to 4 hours, 10 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small to medium onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 2 Tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cooking Directions

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cut chicken into cubes and add chicken along with the onions to the skillet. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until chicken and onions are browned.

Add the rest of the ingredients, cover skillet, and simmer over low heat for 30-45 or transfer to a 4 quart slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.

Serve on buns or sandwich rolls.

 Totally Tasty Tuesday   I’m Lovin’ It 

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Potstickers

This is  more involved than my usual recipe but they come together surprisingly fast and are very freezer friendly. Do not let the long list intimidate you because they are so worth the work and the filling can be made while the dough is resting.

These are perfect served along my Asian Noodles with Chicken and Veggies and don’t forget the dipping sauce.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons boiling water
  

  For the filling:

• 1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage
• 8 ounces ground chicken or pork
• 2 Tablespoons finely chopped water chestnuts
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar 
  

  For cooking:

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable, divided
• 2/3 cup chicken broth, divided
  

  Directions:

  For the dough:

  Place flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the boiling water and stir well with a wooden spoon. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes.

  Unwrap dough and knead briefly. Divide dough into four pieces, place one piece on a floured surface, keeping the other three covered. Roll with a lightly floured pin to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with a 3 inch diameter cutter. Repeat for the other 3 pieces.

  For the filling:

  Squeeze the excess moisture from the cabbage, place in a large bowl. Add in the chicken, water chestnuts, soy sauce, ginger, sugar and cornstarch. Mix well.

  To fill:

  Place 1 rounded teaspoon filling in the center of the dough circle. Moisten the edge of half the round. Fold circle in half and pinch the edges together. Sit dumpling down firmly seam side up. Cover finished potstickers with plastic wrap while assembling the rest.

  To cook:

  Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Cook 1/2 the potstickers in the skillet for 5-6 minutes or until bottom is golden. Pour in 1/3 cup chicken stock and cover tightly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for ten minutes if freshly made 15 minutes if frozen or until all liquid is absorbed. Repeat with remaining oil, chicken stock and potstickers.

  To freeze:

  Place assembled potstickers on a cookie sheet. Freeze for 30 minutes or until slightly firm. Store in labeled freezer bags or containers for up to 3 months. Do not thaw before cooking.

  Makes 36 dumplings.

 

Linked to This Week’s Cravings  Mouthwatering Monday  Weekend Potluck, Ingredient Spotlight

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Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

I had mentioned in the February freezer cooking post that I had made some tweaks to turn my favorite red sauce into a meat sauce. Here is the end result of that experiment- a slow cooked, super flavorful sauce with bits of Italian sausage. This recipe makes a ton of sauce for a very reasonable price and freezes well.

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 –2 pounds of Italian sausage links of your preference. Hot, sweet, turkey or chicken it doesn’t matter; just use what you like.
• 2 onions, chopped
• #10 can of crushed tomatoes (the brand I use is 102 ounces)
• 1-2 cups of water
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For pasta:

• 1 pound dried spaghetti for every 6-8 people
• Meatballs for serving if desired

Directions:

For the sauce:

In a skillet over medium heat sauté onions in olive oil until softened. Place in the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker.  Top onions with Italian sausage. Pour crushed tomatoes over sausage and onions. Add salt, garlic powder, basil, parsley, and crushed red pepper. Gently stir in enough of the water to reach desired consistency. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. Season to taste.

Remove sausage links from sauce and let cool. Cool the sauce in a shatter proof bowl in an ice bath. Slice the sausage into bite sized pieces and use a food processor or blender to break into smaller pieces if desired. Mix sausage with the sauce and freeze in 2-3 cup portions.

For the pasta:

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Mix with 3-4 cups of the prepared sauce and serve.

Notes:

Thaw sauce in refrigerator overnight or until completely thawed. Heat in sauce pan until bubbling.

Adapted from  Easy Crockpot Red Sauce at Life as MOM

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Shredded Pork in a Green Chile Sauce

This is kind of like a cheater’s Chile Verde which is a Mexican dish with pork shoulder roast, roasted tomatillos, roasted poblano or Anaheim  and jalapeno peppers, and a few other ingredients that is braised on top of the stove for a couple of hours. I do plan on making that and sharing the recipe later on but here is a tasty and quick play on those flavors.

 

Shredded Pork in a Green Chile Sauce

Recipe by Micha

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 4 to 8 hours

Total time: 4 hours, 10 minutes to 8 hours 10 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 pound boneless pork roast
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups salsa verde or green enchilada sauce
• 1 or 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• To taste salt
• To taste black pepper

Cooking Directions

Place onions and garlic in the bottom of a 4 quart or larger slow cooker. Add pork roast and pour salsa or enchilada sauce over all. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-6 or until roast is tender enough to shred. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

Notes:

To freeze: portion into meal size servings and place in freezer bags or containers. Label and freeze. To serve thaw in refrigerator and heat in microwave or on the stove until heated thoroughly. Serve as desired.

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