Recipes for Moms - Crock Pot Recipes

Slow Cooked Southern Crock Pot Beans are basic Pinto beans slow cooked with ham and seasonings. This is a good ol' boy Southern recipe handed down to me from a friend, whose mom and grandma always used it and it was first published in their family cookbook back in 1938, and later added to their church recipe books in '56 updated with a crockpot, instead of an old fashion bean pot. Serves 8 to 10, but I find cutting this recipe in half still lasts me and my family through two meals as a side dish.
 

Ingredients needed for slow cooked Southern Beans

•   1 pound dried pinto beans
•   1 large onion, chopped finely
•   4 to 8 ounces ham hock, or fat back, (cooked ham chopped works well)
•   3 cloves garlic, minced
•   1/2 cup chopped green pepper
•   1 tablespoon chili powder
•   1 teaspoon salt
•   1 teaspoon pepper
•   1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
•   1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Preparing slow cooked Southern Beans

Sort the beans and pick out anything else that is not a bean.

Cover beans with plenty of water and soak overnight. In the morning drain and rinse.

Place beans in a  6-quart (your basic large one) crock pot with water and remaining ingredients. Cover cooker and cook on low setting for 9 to 10 hours, or until beans are soft and done. Stir a couple of times during cooking and add more water if necessary.

Serve with cornbread as a side dish to pretty much any Southern dish such as fried catfish, or dried chicken.