Maple Baked Beans

I decided to try something with my Crock Pot Baked Beans recipe. A really simple switch, I subtracted the sugar and molasses, and added 3/8 cup of Maple Sugar. As you can note in the linked article, and as I found out using Maple Syrup in my Coconut Flour Banana Bread, Maple is about twice as sweet as cane sugar. So I dropped the 3/8 cup each of sugar and molasses, and substituted 3/8 cup of Maple Sugar.  It came out very good!  A hint of maple flavor but not too sweet.  I think you could go to 1/2 cup and not be too sweet. I may try that in the future.

I'm not going to reprint the whole recipe here, if you have some maple sugar or REAL maple syrup and want to give it a try, check the basic recipe using the link above and make the substitution as noted.

I bet you like it!

Crock Pot Baked Beans

This is a recipe I had originally posted on an old blog, I'm reposting it now because I'm going to try something next week to give it a bit of a twist.  So if you want to compare them, make this one now!

1lb white beans (Great Norther, Navy, etc.)

1/2# bacon, cut into 2" to 3" pieces

1 large onion, diced

3/8 cup molasses

3/8 cup sugar

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 tsp dry mustard

2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce

3/4 cup catsup

Sort, rinse and soak the beans overnight.  I put them in a 3qt saucepan so that there's about 1-1/2" water over the beans

the next morning dump the beans and water into the crock pot, add everything else, stir it up.  Make sure you have about an inch of liquid over the beans.  Cook for 8 hours on low setting, checking every now and then to make sure the liquid level is still above the beans.  If you're going to be gone you can add a little extra water. The beans should be done in 8 hrs (they always are in mine), if not let it keep cooking until they're done.

There you have it, a delicious pot of baked beans!  Enjoy!!!

Easy Red Beans and Rice

Long a comfort food from down south, Red Beans and Rice also has a bit of history attached to it.  Ham was the traditional Sunday dinner (or supper as they often called it).  Back then Monday was also often called "Washday" as it was the day all the laundry was done..   For the ladies of the house, a pot of beans, with the leftover ham bone and spices added for flavoring, was an easy Monday dinner that wouldn't take a lot of attention away from getting the washing done. They could assemble the ingredients and let it simmer while they attended to the laundry.

I don't know about you, but a ham is not a traditional Sunday dinner at my house.  As a matter of fact, we probably only have ham 2 or 3 times a year.  This can be a problem since various ham & beans recipes, especially Red Beans and Rice, are among my favorites. I've come up with this recipe which has a bit of flavor but is not overly spicy, as traditional Red Beans and Rice is actually rather mild and served with a bottle of hot sauce so everyone can adjust the octane level to their own desires.

Be sure to read all the way to the bottom.

Let's go!

1 pound package dry red beans
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound Andouille (Cajun Sausages, or hot links)
White Rice

Sort and rinse the beans as per the package directions. Place in the pot with the onion and garlic, add enough water so the beans are covered by about 1-1/2".  Add the red pepper flakes and black pepper and stir.  Bring to a boil, the lower the heat until it is at a simmer.   Simmer for about 2 hours.  Slice the sausage on an angle into pieces about 1/2" thick.  Add to the pot and return to a boil.  Once at a boil, again lower the heat to a simmer for about an hour.

While the pot is simmering, cook a couple cups of rice per the package directions.  I like to use Chicken Broth instead of water when making the rice.

When the beans are cooked and ready, serve over rice. You can garnish it with a fresh parsley sprig or with green onions for a "fancy look" if you like.

As an aside, corn bread or biscuits are great with this dish!

This is a real basic recipe.  You can add additional spices such as parsley, thyme, bay leaf.  You can add chopped ham or bacon crumbles if you want more meat.  You can add diced bell pepper and/or chopped celery.   Try different ways until you find the recipe you like and make it your own!

Crock Pot Baked Beans

Note: I originally posted this on my Fuller Brush Blog, but felt it should be here too.

With the weather turning cooler I made some last week, and they are good (if I say so myself)

1lb white beans (Great Northern, Navy, etc.)

1/2# bacon, cut into 2" to 3" pieces

1 large onion, diced

3/8 cup molasses

3/8 cup sugar

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 tsp dry mustard

2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce

3/4 cup catsup

Sort, rinse and soak the beans overnight.  I put them in a 3qt saucepan so that there's about 1-1/2" water over the beans

the next morning dump the beans and water into the crock pot, add everything else, stir it up.  Make sure you have about an inch of liquid over the beans.  Cook for 8 hours on low setting, checking every now and then to make sure the liquid level is still above the beans.  If you're going to be gone you can add a little extra water. The beans should be done in 8 hrs (they always are in mine), if not let it keep cooking until they're done.

There you have it, a delicious pot of baked beans!  Enjoy!!!