Molasses Slow Cooked Beans (Crock Pot) [RECIPE]

This is my variation of a family recipe that is always a hit.  These beans can be eaten cold, but they are fabulous warm/hot.  And if you let them sit a day, they’re even better as leftovers! The flavors really get a chance to meld if they sit a day or two before serving. I'm still working on the converting the recipe from using canned beans to re-hydrating dried beans, but this version is nice & simple...and works like a charm! I made this recipe (using the canned beans) for my Civil War Event last weekend and they were a huge hit. Hope you give it a try! – Becky/MarcailGaelyn

 

Pot of Molasses Beans made 6/30/2011

 

 

 

Molasses Slow Cooked Beans (Crock Pot)

 

Ingredients:

1 lb of Bacon (cooked crispy & broken into chunks/pieces)

¼ C. Ham, diced

1 Yellow Onion, chopped/diced

4  (15oz) cans of Beans, rinsed & drained

  Ex.: 1 can of each of the following: Red Kidney Beans, Black Beans, Small White Beans, & Great Northern Beans

½ C. Molasses

½ C. Ketchup

1 Tsp Mustard (my personal preference is Maille brand, “Original, Hot” which is imported from France.)

Dash of Worcester Sauce

Salt & Pepper to Taste. (For Black Pepper Allergies, substitute White Pepper instead.)

Directions:

1.      Brown/Cook to the crispy stage your bacon. [I prefer the oven (see below for oven method).] Once the bacon is cool enough to touch, crumble the bacon into chunks & small pieces and set aside. Reserve some of the bacon grease for cooking the onion (next step).

a.       Oven Method for Cooking Bacon:

                                                              i.      lay your bacon in a single layer on a foil-covered -& lined with parchment paper- sheet pan

                                                            ii.      cook for 20-30 minutes (or until done) in a 425 Degree oven. Be sure to check on it so it doesn’t burn!

                                                          iii.      Remove pieces from the fat to drain while it cools.

2.      After dicing up the onion, sauté it in some bacon grease (just enough to lubricate the pan, not enough to deep fry the onions!) until the onions become translucent and begin to brown on the edges.

3.      Rinse & drain the beans, then add to the crock pot.

4.      Add in the Bacon, Ham, Onion, Molasses, Ketchup, Mustard, Worcester Sauce, Salt & Pepper and mix thoroughly.

5.      Cover with lid, turn on the Slow Cooker to LOW and let it cook for 6 hours to 10 hours. (I often have these cooking for 10 hours while I’m gone for work on a work day.)