CROCKPOT PICNIC BEANS

I love beans of all kinds, baked beans, chili beans, bean soup, refried beans, you name it; so I've tried a lot of bean recipes.  As usual, I ended up taking the best part of several recipes and combining them to create this crockpot picnic bean recipe. Every BBQ needs a big pot of beans !!

These beans are slightly sweet and smokey, not to mention VERY flavorful and an inexpensive (and nutritious) way to feed a crowd. The trick is to start them the day ahead, then let them cook in the crockpot all day (or overnight). Your kitchen will smell heavenly.

3 cups DRY navy beans  (soaked overnight)
3/4 cup tomato puree
3/4 cut ketchup
2½ cups (bean) water   (see note)
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons DRY mustard powder
1 medium onion chopped
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 pound of bacon (fried and crumbled)

Rinse and sort the dry beans (sometimes, there are tiny rocks or pieces of dirt in the bag). Cover them with water (about 3" above the beans) and put them in the fridge for about 8 hours or overnight.  Drain and rinse them again.

Put the beans in a large kettle and cover with with enough water to measure  3-4 inches above the beans. Gently boil  for 1 to 2 hours (all beans cook at different rates, so just test for doneness after an hour ...just don't let them get mushy). If you want to skip this step, see alternative method below.

Drain  the beans, but reserve 2½ cups of the bean water. Put the drained beans, onion and crumbled bacon in the crockpot. 

Mix the 2½ cups of bean water with the tomato puree, ketchup, molasses, sugar, dry mustard, and salt until smooth then pour over the beans, stirring very gently to distribute everything.

Cover and cook on low setting of your crockpot for about 8 hours. Don't be afraid to add a little water towards the end if it looks like it needs it (it won't effect the taste).

NOTE: If you don't want to mess with boiling the beans, you can soak them all day and then before you go to bed, put the beans in the crockpot, cover them with water (water only) and let them cook on low all night.   In the morning, drain the beans (saving 2½ cups of the bean water) and then  proceed with the rest of the recipe.

NOTE: Navy beans work the best for this recipe, but northern beans or any small white DRY bean will work, just don't use a dry lima bean...they get mushy too fast.

NOTE:  "Bean water" is simply the water that you boiled the beans in.

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CROCKPOT CHICKEN CHILI

This is a new recipe for us and I must tell you it was delightful. It is one of those rare recipes that is not only good for you, but it's very tasty, very hearty and it rings all the familiar bells of comfort food.

This recipe is also a breeze to make because you put most of the ingredients in the crockpot the night BEFORE you want to serve it (no need to pre-soak the beans) and then in the morning, you just add the chicken and carrots and let it cook all day!! It will make your house smell fantastic!!

1½ cups DRY Great Northern white beans (rinsed)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chopped onion (sauteed)
4 ounce can mild green chile's
2 cups grated carrots
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dry oregano leaves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 teaspoon salt  (see note below)
½ teaspoon black pepper
6 cups chicken stock (see note below)
1 cup Monterrey Jack Cheese shredded

Wash and sort the dry beans (do not pre-soak) and put them in the crockpot. Add the stock, sauteed onion, seasonings and chile's. Cook on LOW setting overnight (or about 8 hours).

In the morning, remove about a cup of the beans and mash them thoroughly. (I put them in the blender)  Return the mashed beans to the crockpot; this will thicken up the broth in the chili.

Cut the raw chicken into large pieces and add it to the crockpot along with the shredded carrots.  Cook this on high for 6 to 8 hours. If your crockpot runs very hot (as some of them do) cook it on low instead.

About 30 minutes before you want to serve the chicken chili, add the shredded Monterrey Jack cheese and stir.

I hope you like this hearty "good for you" chili as much as we did.

NOTE: If you use salt free chicken broth, go ahead and put the teaspoon of salt into the chili. Taste it again after it is finished cooking (and you've added the cheese) to see if it still needs more salt.   If you use chicken broth made from bullion, I wouldn't add any salt to the recipe, as the bullion broth is already quite salty.

NOTE: I hope you don't leave out the grated carrot, it really adds a wonderful taste and texture to the chili.

NOTE: We are fairly timid when it comes to spicy heat in our food. The recipe calls for 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. I used a scant 1/8 teaspoon and it was absolutely perfect for us. If you like more heat in your food, add more cayenne.

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CHILI ON CORNBREAD WAFFLES

I saw a television commercial, recently, for chicken and waffles and that started me thinking (dangerous I know). Chili and cornbread were on the menu for dinner, so... I thought, why not serve the chili over cornbread waffles? It was VERY good and such a fun change!!

CHILI

1 pound lean ground beef
½ cup of chopped onion
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dry oregano
¼ teaspoon black pepper
6 ounce can of tomato paste
4 cups beef broth (not bullion)
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon dry red pepper flakes (optional heat)
1 15 oz. can red kidney beans
1 15 oz. can white kidney beans

Brown the ground beef and onions and drain well. Add everything else, stir well and cook in crock pot on high for 4 hours.

CORNBREAD WAFFLES

I am not a big fan of commercial "mixes", but there is one that I always keep on hand (because it is tasty and inexpensive) and that is Jiffy Cornbread Muffin Mix (here in Alaska they are 59¢ a box). Here is my version of a cornbread waffle. It is a little soft and cake like when it comes out of the waffle maker, so I let them cool for a minute or two (they retain their heat well) on a baking rack so they hold their shape better, but they are SO tasty.

1 box of Jiffy Cornbread Muffin Mix (8 oz.)
¼ cup melted butter
1 can creamed corn
1 egg

Mix everything and bake in waffle iron.

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MEXICAN PULLED PORK & PINTO BEANS

I love this versatile recipe. First of all it is all done in the crock pot in just a few hours with no need to pre-soak the beans and leftover possibilities are endless.

I make this with a 2 pound pork tenderloin, because it is nice a lean, but any pork roast will work. I have a large oval crock pot that tends to run a little hot, and this recipe is fall apart tender for me in 6 hours on low heat. Depending on your crock pot and the size of pork you use, it could take as many as 8 hours, but that is unlikely (just start checking for tenderness at 6 hours).

2 pounds (roughly) pork tenderloin
1 cup dry pinto beans (no need to soak)
(1) 4 ounce can of mild green chilies
3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup chopped sweet onion
healthy pinch of dry red pepper flakes (optional , see note)

Brown the pork well and put it in the crock pot. Saute the onions & garlic in the same pan and then mix them with the dry beans, spices, canned chilies then pour over the meat. Add just enough water to mostly cover the beans & meat, it should look like this:
Make sure the liquid gets under the meat as well. After cooking on low for 4 or 5 hours, check the liquid level in the crock pot and add a little more water if necessary, but not too much. This liquid makes the best red gravy!!

Take the meat out of the crock pot when it gets fork tender (remove any fatty pieces and bones) and pull it apart. Thicken the liquid in the crock pot with a cornstarch and water slurry, then put meat back in with the beans and gravy.

On the first night, I like to serve this over rice or corn chips, cheese avocado & sour cream. On the second night, it makes killer burritos like this:NOTE: A word about the heat or spice in this recipe. My hubby doesn't like much "heat" in his food. He likes strong flavors, he just doesn't like "fire" as he calls it. I use a very small pinch of dry red pepper flakes when I make this for him. If you like a little more "fire", just up the dry red pepper flake ingredient.

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GREEN BEAN-MUSHROOM-BACON & CHEESE CASSEROLE

The traditional "green bean casserole" has always intrigued me. I see it mostly during the holidays and I want to enjoy it, although I'm not too fond of the mushroom soup sauce it usually has. This year, I set out to re-invent this holiday casserole and I absolutely love the final results.
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I used fresh green beans, sauteed sweet onions, portobello mushrooms, crisp bacon, a little cheddar cheese and my own white sauce. The resulting "green bean casserole" was delicious and we ate a ton of it. 1 pound of fresh green beans cut into 2" pieces
½ cup chopped sweet onion
½ pound of baby portobello mushrooms sliced
½ pound of bacon fried crisp (drained well & crumbled)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (loosely packed)
1 clove garlic minced finely
3 tablespoons white flour
1 teaspoon salt
scant ½ teaspoon black pepper
2½ cups milk
2 tablespoons butter

In a large frying pan, melt the butter and saute the chopped onions until they smell sweet; add the garlic and saute until it barely turns golden. Add the green beans and mushrooms (mixing well) and saute for a few minutes until they start to wilt just a little (don't cook them all the way through). Remove pan from heat and set aside.
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In a sauce pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter. When butter is hot, add (all at once) the flour, salt & pepper, stirring quickly. Cook on medium for about a minute (to remove any flour taste). Next, you are going to add the milk, a little at a time, whisking like a mad woman while you add the milk (this will eliminate lumps in the sauce). Once the milk and butter-flour mixture are mixed well, cook on medium heat (stirring every once in a while) until it gets nice and thick.

Remove from heat and stir in the cheese & crisp bacon. Add this mixture to the vegetables and stir well (but gently). Place in an lightly greased casserole dish and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until very hot.
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It was really tasty and the leftovers made a mouth watering lunch the next day.

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