Vencil Mares' Crock Pot Beans

Yield: 6 cups o Heat Level: Mild

People cook beans too fast, Vencil Mares says. If you're in a hurry, open a can. If you want good beans, try this recipe for beans simmered in a slow cooker.

2 cups dried pinto beans
2 cups minced yellow onions
1/4 cup pure chile powder
3 tablespoons salt
1 cup bacon ends, chopped

1. Wash the beans and sort through them to remove any foreign particles and broken beans. In a crockpot or slow cooker, cover beans with cold water by 6 inches and soak overnight.

2. Be sure the beans remain covered with water during the soaking process.

3. The next day, add the onions, chile powder, salt and bacon and stir to blend. Set the beans on the crockpot's high setting until they simmer, then switch to low. From time to time check and stir the beans. If necessary, add water.

4. Serve in a bowl topped with sliced barbecue sausage.

AUTHOR: Lori A