Beans

[Kchurchill5]

I often buy cans, guilty. But I recently made a big batch of black beans. Cooked them one Sunday when I was home,. cooled and froze. Ready when I need them. I froze them on a baking sheet and then added to 2 cup or 1 can amounts. I have 10 bags in the freezer. Easy to grab and prepare for a quick side dish.

And thinking of canned beans. These are great quick side dishes.
Pan saute some chick peas with rosemary and garlic
Saute black beans with onion, garlic and add a little chili powder and salsa
Add white beans, cannellini, curry, garlic and onion
These make wonderful quick side dishes.

Also, saute onion, garlic and the beans and then mash them, almost like a puree under a bed of grilled pork or beef. Delicious and very easy to prepare. Also, very healthy.

Of course beans in soup are wonderful, add some kale, a few other vegetables and broth and you have a very hearty healthy soup. Trying to save money ... that is definitely the way to go. Want a bit more. Make a thick sliced grilled cheese to go with the soup, add tomato or bacon and that is pretty good.

[Dissie]

I used to buy canned beans all the time. But after doing the math, I quickly realized that the cooking time to make dried beans, far outweighs the cost of canned. If you make the beans quickly after purchasing, they cook up quickly. Beans that have been in the pantry for a while, take longer to cook!

[HeatherFeather]

I like the taste of dried beans so much better. I do use canned beans when I need them fast or I only need a small amount. However, it is definitely a huge savings and a flavor boost if you find the time to make them homemade from dried.

Black beans are so delicious made from dried and they can be used in so many bean dishes.

[Marion_in_Savannah]

Does anyone have a good recipe for real Boston baked beans that can be done in a crock pot? I love them, but the ones you can get in the store don't have proper fatback in them... DH and I both love them.

[klutzy]

Marion, here is my recipe, which people seem to enjoy but some might find a little too sweet. It can be cooked in a crockpot on low for about 8 hours and finished in the oven, uncovered, at 350 for about 1 hour, or until most of the liquid is gone and it's a little crusty. Or bake in a covered casserole or dutch oven at 250 for approx 4 hours, remove cover and cook about 1 hour more. Be careful if you have a newer crockpot with bottom heat that doesn't go very low, I think they could scorch pretty easily.

1 lb dried navy beans or 1 lb other small dried white beans
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup REAL maple syrup, or 1/3 C plus 2 Tbl molasses
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 lb bacon, cut up ( a good use for the cheaper ends and pieces, if available in your market)
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce, to taste, optional)
salt and pepper to taste
water

Soak beans overnight in 6C water, or boil 2 minutes to soften and let soak 1 hour while prepping other ingredients. (Cooks Illustrated recommends adding 2-3 Tbl of salt to the water when soaking any kind of beans overnight.) Drain.
Mix all in crockpot/casserole, adding enough water to cover, plus about 4 inches extra. Check pot halfway through and add more water if dry. If you won't be home, just start out with more water; you can cook it off during the final hour. When removing cover for the last hour, taste and adjust seasonings.

[Marion_in_Savannah]

Marion, here is my recipe, which people seem to enjoy but some might find a little too sweet. It can be cooked in a crockpot on low for about 8 hours and finished in the oven, uncovered, at 350 for about 1 hour, or until most of the liquid is gone and it's a little crusty. Or bake in a covered casserole or dutch oven at 250 for approx 4 hours, remove cover and cook about 1 hour more. Be careful if you have a newer crockpot with bottom heat that doesn't go very low, I think they could scorch pretty easily.

1 lb dried navy beans or 1 lb other small dried white beans
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup REAL maple syrup, or 1/3 C plus 2 Tbl molasses
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 lb bacon, cut up ( a good use for the cheaper ends and pieces, if available in your market)
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce, to taste, optional)
salt and pepper to taste
water

Soak beans overnight in 6C water, or boil 2 minutes to soften and let soak 1 hour while prepping other ingredients. (Cooks Illustrated recommends adding 2-3 Tbl of salt to the water when soaking any kind of beans overnight.) Drain.
Mix all in crockpot/casserole, adding enough water to cover, plus about 4 inches extra. Check pot halfway through and add more water if dry. If you won't be home, just start out with more water; you can cook it off during the final hour. When removing cover for the last hour, taste and adjust seasonings.

PLEASE forgive me for my oh-so-belated thank you for your recipe. This sounds just wonderful! I was raised with "sweeter" baked beans, so I don't think I'll change a thing. I just can't wait to try these! Thanks again, and please forgive me for not having checked back more often.

[racrgal]

Marion, here is my recipe, which people seem to enjoy but some might find a little too sweet. It can be cooked in a crockpot on low for about 8 hours and finished in the oven, uncovered, at 350 for about 1 hour, or until most of the liquid is gone and it's a little crusty. Or bake in a covered casserole or dutch oven at 250 for approx 4 hours, remove cover and cook about 1 hour more. Be careful if you have a newer crockpot with bottom heat that doesn't go very low, I think they could scorch pretty easily.

1 lb dried navy beans or 1 lb other small dried white beans
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup REAL maple syrup, or 1/3 C plus 2 Tbl molasses
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 lb bacon, cut up ( a good use for the cheaper ends and pieces, if available in your market)
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce, to taste, optional)
salt and pepper to taste
water

Soak beans overnight in 6C water, or boil 2 minutes to soften and let soak 1 hour while prepping other ingredients. (Cooks Illustrated recommends adding 2-3 Tbl of salt to the water when soaking any kind of beans overnight.) Drain.
Mix all in crockpot/casserole, adding enough water to cover, plus about 4 inches extra. Check pot halfway through and add more water if dry. If you won't be home, just start out with more water; you can cook it off during the final hour. When removing cover for the last hour, taste and adjust seasonings.

These beans sound absolutely delicious!!!!! I've saved the recipe to try in the future.

[racrgal]

I froze them on a baking sheet Great tip, KC. I'll do this the next time I cook dried beans for later use. THANKS!