Since going back to work I'm learning to use my crockpot more and last week I cooked my dry beans in it to freeze for later. I also made this recipe that I got from
Organized Everyday and it was a big hit with the whole family. I know there are lots of different ways to make this dish but I've never tried any of them before and since a fellow blogger recommended it, I thought I would give it a try. This recipe makes lots and lots so I usually make the whole batch and freeze the rest for another time, which will really come in handy to have when I need to focus on holiday meals in the next few weeks. My notes or variations on the recipe are in
italics.
Calico Beans
1 pound of lean ground beef, (I had some already cooked in the freezer)
1 large onion, diced, brown these together and drain
1 dried bag of 15 bean mix: cook in pressure cooker until done
OR you can buy canned beans: 2 cans of kidney beans and 2 cans of garbanzo beans (or store them cooked and frozen in the freezer)
In the crockpot add:
Beef, onions, and beans plus
2 cans of baked beans (any brand)
1 cup of real bacon bits or fry your own (6 slices) (I fried the bacon and onion together)
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. of brown sugar
1 T. vinegar
1 t. of prepared mustard
1 t. salt
Mix it all and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours
OR in the oven 350 degrees for 1 hour
If you choose to fry your own bacon, cooking it with the onions saves time..
If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can still cook your own dried beans in the crockpot, but you have to plan for this a day in advance. (I cooked the beans ahead of time and stored them in the freezer until I put them in the crockpot.)
This is really good with cornbread :)
This is our favorite way to cook pinto beans. They are good on their own, over rice, with cornbread, or anywhere else I use pintos. I also mash them to make refried beans.
