Slow-Cooker Yankee Bean Pot
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/slow_cooker_yankee_bean_pot.html
From EatingWell: October 1998, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004)We've updated this old-fashioned American favorite, taking advantage of the gentle, uniform heat of a slow cooker. Instead of the traditional salt pork, this recipe uses lean Canadian-style bacon.
8 servings, about 3/4 cup each | Active Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 5 1/4 hours
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried navy or great northern beans
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 4 ounces Canadian-style bacon, diced (3/4 cup)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, or molasses
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1/2 pound smoked ham hock, pork neck bones or turkey wings (optional)
- 3 cups boiling water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1-2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- Hot sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Place beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. (Alternatively, place beans and 2 quarts water in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 1 hour.)
- Drain and rinse beans. Place in a slow cooker.
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and bacon; cook, stirring often, until onions are softened and light golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Add to the beans.
- Add maple syrup (or molasses), ketchup, Worcestershire and mustard to the beans; stir to combine. Bury ham hock (or neck bones or turkey wings), if using, in the beans. Add boiling water and top with bay leaves.
- Cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 4 1/4 hours on high or about 11 hours on low. Remove the bay leaves and bones. Season with vinegar, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Per serving : 279 Calories; 3 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 1 g Mono; 7 mg Cholesterol; 50 g Carbohydrates; 15 g Protein; 10 g Fiber; 407 mg Sodium; 876 mg Potassium
2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 starch, 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1/2 vegetable, 2 lean meat
Tips & Notes
- Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Start soaking beans a day ahead.