What’s not to love about baked beans?

• they are sweet and savory
• they are easy to make
• they are truly frugal
• they are filling and just so good for you

One cup of pinto beans provides one quarter of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance of protein for adults. Supplementing the protein of pinto beans with a little meat, dairy products, rice or corn will provide all the essential amino acids. Because beans contain soluble fiber, they can lower blood cholesterol.
- New Mexico State University

We love baked beans. I can make a batch every week during the summer and they simply disappear. But, they are equally delicious in the cooler months as well.

I filled my crock pot this weekend and made a mess of baked beans to help combat the spring fever we all seem to have. Combined with some hot dogs I purchased at Sam’s Club and some dollar store hot dog rolls (and an as yet undetermined vegetable side) we can have a taste of summer while there are still patches of unmelted snow on the ground.

20 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups dried beans – navy, pinto, or great northern
4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP onion powder
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

6 cups water (or more)

Directions:

Sort beans to remove any stones, and rinse well.

In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients, and mix well to incorporate.

Pour bean mixture into a 6 qt. crock-pot. Add water making sure to cover bean mixture.

Cook on high setting for 2 hours, then reduce heat to low and cook for at least 12 hours, or until tender.

Serving:

It is perfect to make for a summertime BBQ, to bring to a pot luck, or even to make in anticipation of a week’s worth of meals off the grill.

As a side dish, these beans seem to go with everything from burgers & hot dogs to grilled chicken or even ribs.

But, baked beans with a side of cornbread and a tossed salad is also a perfectly acceptable dinner.

In the event that you find yourself with more beans than you and your family can eat, you can freeze the leftovers. Just be aware that the texture of the beans themselves may get slightly grainy after defrosting.

If serving this at a bar-b-que, consider also making some tomato salad and chickpea salad (and maybe even making your own BBQ sauce if you really want to impress your guests).

Variations:

• For health and budget reasons we tend to stick to vegetarian baked beans. If you prefer to season yours with meat you may add 1 lb of chopped bacon to the bottom of the crock-pot before adding the bean mixture.

Nutritional Information:

Calories 118.2
Total Fat 0.1 g
Saturated Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 36.8 g
Dietary Fiber 11.2 g
Sugars 24.3 g
Protein 7.1 g

_{estimate via Recipe calculator via Sparkpeople.com}

Enjoy!

Jia
Adapted from:

Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: Feasting with Your Slow Cooker

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