VM BURNS: Often, I find my creativity maxed out when it comes to side dishes, and I revert to the same old things, potatoes. However, I don't recall my mom making potatoes more than a few times per year. So, I thought back to my childhood and the dishes that my mom used to make for Sunday dinner. One of those was pinto beans. I like pinto beans, especially when I can mix them with another of my mom's best dishes, fried corn (maybe I'll share that in another post). Today, I'm going to share a soul food side dish that I adapted a bit. My mom didn't use her slow cooker as much as I do. She cooked these on the stove. However, the dry pinto beans need to soak overnight to soften. I didn't plan ahead, so instead of resorting to canned beans, I used my slow cooker on high. In a perfect world, you'd soak your beans overnight and then cook them on the stove the next day. However, I don't live in perfect.
SLOW COOKER PINTO BEANS
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb Dried pinto beans
- 2 Ham hocks
- 1 Small onion chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Lawry's season salt
- 1 Teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 Quart Chicken broth
- 1 Quart Water
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 2 Bay leafs
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic powder
- INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all of the ingredients into the slow cooker. Turn it on high and cook for 4-6 hours.
- When the beans are cooked to the level you like.
- Discard the ham skin and serve. These are great with cornbread.
TWO PARTS SUGAR, ONE PART MURDER, Baker Street Mystery #1
PREORDER NOW!
Releasing August 30, 2022
V. M. (Valerie) Burns
In this delectable new cozy mystery series, social media maven Maddy Montgomery’s perfectly ’grammable life has come undone, and she’s #StartingOver in a tiny town with one giant problem—a killer on the loose . . .
When Maddy Montgomery’s groom is a no-show to their livestream wedding, it’s a disaster that no amount of filtering can fix. But a surprise inheritance offers a chance to regroup and rebrand—as long as Maddy is willing to live in her late, great-aunt Octavia’s house in New Bison, Michigan, for a year, running her bakery and caring for a 250-pound English mastiff named Baby.
Maddy doesn’t bake, and her Louboutins aren’t made for walking giant dogs around Lake Michigan, but the locals are friendly and the scenery is beautiful. With help from her aunt’s loyal friends, aka the Baker Street Irregulars, Maddy feels ready to tackle any challenge, including Octavia’s award-winning cake recipes. That is, until New Bison’s mayor is fatally stabbed, and Maddy’s fingerprints are found on the knife . . .
Something strange is going on in New Bison. It seems Aunt Octavia had her suspicions, too. But Maddy’s going to need a whole lot more than a trending hashtag to save her reputation—and her life.
This is funny, I just wrote to my nieces asking if they had ever made butter beans in a slow cooker? I am 73 and had never even thought of it. Then I burned a pot of beans, not too bad but I hate to waste all my hard work. That is when it hit me why not use a slow cooker, it was great, didn't have to check on them all the time and they were cooked perfect, soft but still kept their shape, that was the best butter beans I have ever made, and I am a good cook. If you shop at Costco, they have these Polish Sausages ,right by the giant dinner Franks, those were so good in those beans.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE my slow cooker, but I hadn't thought of cooking beans in them until this need arose. I think I'm going to try the butter beans, too. I haven't had those in years. Thanks for the suggestion.
DeleteLove this. My favorite go-to is baked macaroni and cheese.
ReplyDeleteI love Macaroni and cheese, but I don't make it a lot. I need to test a recipe though, so it may be in my future. Thanks for the idea.
DeleteBaked macaroni and cheese that can be cut with a knife! Simple, just elbow macaroni, sharp cheddar cheese (a lot of sharp cheddar cheese), milk and egg!
ReplyDeleteI love Mac and cheese. Sounds delish.
DeleteYum! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tina. I love using my slow cooker.
DeleteCongratulations on the new book! It sounds so good. Side dishes, hmmm, I'm lucky to get the main dish cooked. Do frozen french fries in the air fryer count? LOL
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm super excited (and really nervous). FWIW frozen french fries absolutely count as a side dish! :-)
DeleteMy go-to side dish is a can of whole new potatoes browned in olive oil with onion slices. Next in line would be pea salad (one can of peas with Miracle Whip and bread n' butter pickles). We love pinto beans just like they are from the pot and also refried for chalupas and burritos. lnchudej@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThose sound so good. I also made refried beans last week for my Mexican Lasagna. Yum!
DeleteOurs is always green beans with bacon and eggs like my grandma used to make. Can't go wrong with potatoes or corn on the cob either.
ReplyDeletekozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com
I have never heard of adding an egg to green beans with bacon. How do you do that? I agree, you can't go wrong with potatoes and corn on the cob.
DeleteYum! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Will have to make it! My favorite side dish is baked cheesy broccoli. So easy and good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance! Would love to read and review!
jarjm1980(at)hotmail(dot)com
I like broccoli and cheese, but I haven't made it. Now, I'm going to be on the lookout for a recipe. Thanks for the suggestion.
DeleteWhen you soak the beans (assuming you do) add some baking soda to the water. That reduces the gassy effect from the cooked beans.
ReplyDeletelibbydodd at comcast dot net
Thanks for the tip. I will give it a try the next time I cook them.
DeleteI’m going to try pinto beans in my slow cooker. I love them but have never tried to make them before. My mother fixed them a lot. My go-to is baked Mac and cheese. cking78503(ataol(dot)com
ReplyDeleteMac and cheese is so yummy and yet I only make it on holidays. I need to change that.
DeleteHas to be Macaroni and Cheese.
ReplyDeleteThat's a popular item. I love mac and cheese. Maybe I need to do a post and get folks to include their recipes.
DeleteThank you for a new twist on a pot of beans. Love beans. always looking for new ideas. My go-to side dish is caramelized onions or caramelized mushrooms. Which ever I have on hand. Sometimes I've been known to do both in the pan. They go with anything and everything. Including making a dessert pudding.
ReplyDeleteI love caramelized onions and mushrooms, but have never even considered either with a dessert. Sounds intriguing.
DeleteI've never made beans in my slow cooker, but it seems like a perfect way to cook ham and beans. My go to dish is a corn salad my Mom used to make.
ReplyDeletediannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
I love ham and bean soup. It works great in a slow cooker. Corn salad sounds yummy. I will need to look that one up.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI love my slow cooker and have made pinto beans in it forever. Sometimes I add diced ham and Rotel tomatoes to make Charro beans. 3labsmom(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried Charro beans, but will need to add that to the list. Thanks for the suggestion.
DeleteThose look amazing. Yum! Perfect with some fried cornbread.My favorite go to side is simple mashed potatoes. Easy and goes with almost anything. For a slow cooker side, I like to "bake" sweet potatoes and parsnips.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to log in.
DeleteI haven't made fried cornbread in years. I used to love when my mom made it. Thanks for the idea.
Delete