Yummy Slow-Cooker Black Beans

When you have the time to plan ahead, making beans from scratch is definitely worth the wait.  It's a big money saver too, because dried beans are so cheap and you can make a huge batch pretty easily using a slow-cooker.  You also get to infuse the beans with whatever ingredients you add to the pot.  I stick with onion, garlic, tomatoes, jalapenos, and some spices to give it tons of flavor and a little heat.  These beans are delicious as a side dish or can serve as your main course with rice and shredded cheese.  

Ingredients:

• 3 cups dried black beans
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 large or two small onions, diced
• 3 jalapeno peppers, diced with seeds (remove seeds for less spicy)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons Adobo (or more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 slice (or chunk) of bacon

Directions:
Rinse your beans and pick through them to remove any odd-shaped or discolored beans.  Soak the beans over night, or bring them to a boil in a large pot and let them simmer for 1 hour, covered.  Drain, and add to your slow-cooker.  (I used the second method because I didn't think about it the day before)

To the pot, add your canned tomatoes and spices.  Next, add the vegetables and bacon, and then finally pour in the stock.

Turn the heat level to high, and let the beans cook for 6-7 hours. Turn the heat to low and cook for 3-4 hours longer.  Taste them every once in a while to see if you need to add more spices or salt.  The Adobo seasoning is pretty salty so I used that in place of salt.  If the beans still have a bite to them after this amount of cooking time you may need to cook them a bit longer until they are completely soft.  Remove the bacon before serving.  These beans are infused with so many flavors, they are really delicious and will last for days!  We just used the last bit of them in some chili, which was a good way to use up the leftovers.  Enjoy!