Slow Cooker Black Beans

Did you know that you can make your own black beans in the slow cooker?  You can and it’s so easy!  The great thing about making your own is that they taste better and you can control the amount of sodium in them.  They’re also cheaper than canned.  I bought one pound of organic dried black beans for $2.45 and it yielded the equivalent of 3 cans of beans.  Once they were cooked, I divided them up into freezer bags and put them in the freezer.  Now I have tasty organic black beans ready whenever I need them.

And I’m not kidding when I say they’re easy.  All you do is put all the ingredients in the slow cooker and let it go.  When it’s that easy, it’s so worth it to make your own!

Slow Cooker Black Beans

• 1 lb dried organic black beans
• 1 onion, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 cups chicken stock (I used homemade)
• 2 cups water

Combine all ingredients in your slow cooker.

Cook on high for 4-6 hours until beans are soft.  Strain liquid from beans.  Divide beans into quart size freezer bags.  About 1 1/2 cups is equivalent to 1 can.  Freeze until ready to use.

Here are some recipe suggestions for using these yummy beans:

Barbecue Black Beans and Rice

Beef Tortilla Soup

Black Bean and Chorizo Soup

ENJOY!

Shared at these great blogs:

Miz Helen’s Country Cottage

The Country Cook

Everyday Mom’s Meals

Basilmomma