It was a plan...
Two sisters craving baked beans....
Two crock pots...
Two recipies....
It shakes out something like this:
Country Sister's Baked Beans
Step 1. Acquire Vintage Orange Crock Pot as awesome Dump Find after City Sister acquires the much sought after family heirloom crock pot in a questionably underhanded manner one holiday visit (I'm kidding here of course--but the whole crock pot debaucle has been the source of many laughs so we of course HAVE to keep it going...and make the story more crazy every time)
Fill crock pot about 1/3 to 1/2 full of rinsed drybeans. I use a combination of Great Northern (bought bulk) and Jacob's Cattle (homegrown)
Add One Medium Onion Coarsely Chopped
Just Cover with Water
Turn Crock on High
Check in an hour or so and again cover with water
When the beans are basically soft through
ADD:
4T Ketchup
1/3 C Brown Sugar
1/4 C Molasses
3 T Dry Mustard
2 Strips Bacon (raw)
Cook on High 2-3 hours
Check for doneness
Salt to taste and turn down to low until you eat or store them for later in the fridge or freezer (yes you can freeze them!)
That Country Sister thinks she's something special because her (not so) beautiful (non heirloom) crockpot came from the dump. Doesn't she now.
Citysister's crockpot beans.
3 cups dry rinsed great northern beans (purchased...during the last great shopping adventure)
1 onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
4 slices bacon raw chopped up
1/3 cup Molasses
1/2 cup Brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
Water
(I have a sweet tooth...it shows here in the bean recipe.)
Put beans in a bowl with 6 cups water. Try to fight off the 2 year olds manic cooking impulses to crazily stir the beans into oblivion. Put bowl of beans in a hidden area to baffle the aforementioned 2 year old. Let set overnight. First thing in the morning drain the liquid off the beans and put in the crockpot with all the other ingredients as well as water up to the top of the beans. Tell husband that the weird smells are not his breakfast. Set crockpot on low for the rest of the day checking on the water level. Enjoy.
We sometimes will have as a lunch the next day weenie beanies (our) Grannie's recipe!
4 cups baked beans
4 hot dogs
3 Tbs or so of ketchup and mustard
1/4 cup sauteed onion
Saute the onion. Add in chopped up hot dogs (even when I was older, Granny insisted on chopping them up...after all you could choke.) Cook the hot dogs until browned and warmed through. Add the beans, ketchup and mustard to taste.
Serve with BUTTERED (no margarine!) bread.
Both of these recipes are awesome. I really need to replenish my dried bean supply. Once I do, you can bet I'll be making these! Thanks, girls!
ReplyDeleteI have found too that a crock pot is the best way to make baked beans. They take too long to cook in the oven, which uses too much electricity.
ReplyDeleteSomething excellent to try is to put a meaty ham bone in with the beans while they are cooking, instead of bacon.
I've never thought of using Great Northern beans, thanks for the idea! Maybe I'll try that next time I make baked beans.
Mmm, I love baked beans so I'll be happy to try both recipes. I'm still looking for a white bean that grows well in the south. Black turtle beans do really well, but for things like baked beans, I really need to find a white one too.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind do you usually use? I'll have to try a ham bone next time I have one...they are a rarity around here.
ReplyDeleteUh oh...Sorry Country, but I have a sweet tooth too. City's got my vote. And to think she beat you out just by adding a little more of the sweet stuff. (Grin) Brown sugar, bacon AND molasses? As long as there's plenty of it, I'm in heaven.
ReplyDeleteBaked beans, such a treat. I love your sister banter with the crock pot. I might substitute the meat for some tofu, which might not be the same, but hopefully it will be good.
ReplyDeleteOh, I might have to make one of those to use up the kidney beans lurking in the back of my pantry.
ReplyDelete