In this stay at home era, I think a lot of people are rethinking how they cook and shop. For many people, beans come in a can and while they are totally convenient and I always have a few cans of beans on hand, dried beans are so much more delicious. They are also a great staple to have in the house. Dried beans do not need to be a pain either. You can easily cook up a batch in the slow cooker with minimal effort and just a little planning. Making your own beans gives you the opportunity to add flavor and control the sodium content. Below is my favorite bean recipe. It comes together quickly and doesn’t require you to soak the bean overnight. This flavor combination works well for black beans, pinto beans, kidney bean, and great northern white beans. This recipe makes the most creamy centered, delicious beans.

Slow Cooker Black Beans

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4-8 hours
Yields: 4-5 cups of beans

Ingredients

1 lb. black beans, picked over to remove broken or wrinkled beans or small stones

6 cups water

1 onion, diced

2-3 whole garlic cloves, smashed with the back of a knife

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon salt (this seems like a lot, but is fine with this much water, you can use less)

Instructions

Place black beans, onion, garlic cloves, and bay leaf in a slow cooker. Add water.

Cook on high for 4 hours. To test doneness, spoon out a few beans and blow on them. If the skins peel back, the beans are ready. Taste just to make sure. If all of the water has been absorbed, add more. Beans must stay completely covered to prevent them from burning. If cooking on low, cook for 8 hours.

Add the salt and let cook for another 20-30 minutes, to absorb the salt. Remove the bay leaf, garlic cloves, and onion before using, if desired.

Use immediately, or allow to cool before transferring beans and some of the cooking liquid airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months. If freezing, defrost overnight in the refrigerator.