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Slow Cooker Bean-Hole Beans

Two Stars Guiding Stars

  • Servings:

    6 (308 g) as an appetizer

  • Prep Time:

    10 minutes

  • Cook Time:

    705 minutes

Ingredients

Bean-hole beans are an American tradition dating back to the Native American technique of baking beans with bear fat and maple syrup buried in clay pots under coals. This recipe is designed for the modern day bean hole: the slow cooker. Relying on Guiding Stars-earning chicken sausage for a dose of animal fat and a touch of molasses for sweetness, you can carry on your family's Saturday tradition with a healthier spin.
1 pound dried navy or great northern beans
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 medium onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup tomato puree
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/2 pound Guiding Star-earning chicken sausage, sliced into disks
3 cups boiling water
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Slow Cooker Bean-Hole Beans

Directions

1. Place beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let soak overnight, 8 hours minimum. If you don't have time to let them stand overnight, boil with a half-gallon of water for 2 minutes and let stand, covered, for 1 hour.
2. Drain and rinse beans. Place in slow cooker.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sausage. Cook until onions are softened and light golden and sausage is browned on the outside, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper; cook for 1 minute. Add to the beans.
4. Add molasses, tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce and mustard to the beans; stir to combine. Add boiling water and top with bay leaves.
5. Cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 4 1/2 hours on high or about 11 hours on low. Remove the bay leaves. Season with vinegar, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Nutrition

Nutritional Facts
Servings 6 (308 g)
Base Nutrients
Calories 382 kcal (19%)
Calories from Fat 37 kcal (0%)
Total Fat 4 g (6%)
Saturated Fat 1 g (3%)
Cholesterol 14 mg (5%)
Sodium 358 mg (15%)
Total Carbohydrates 63 g (21%)
Dietary Fiber 13 g (51%)
Protein 26 g (43%)
Vitamins
Vitamin A n/a
Vitamin C 6 mg (6%)
Minerals
Calcium 171 mg (13%)
Iron 6 mg (34%)
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