I always thought dried beans were too much work until I heard a tip at the library

I was at the Denver Public Library last month and overheard a lady say she cooks a whole bag of pinto beans in her slow cooker overnight, no soaking needed. I tried it with a two pound bag that cost me $1.89, and now I have beans for chili, soups, and burritos for the whole week. Who knew skipping the soak step could make them so easy? What other cheap slow cooker meals save you the most time?

3 comments

3 Comments

henry10126d ago

That overnight bean trick is a game changer, right? Do you add anything to the water in the slow cooker, or is it literally just beans and water? I've heard a pinch of baking soda can help with texture but haven't tried it myself.

mason_ward26d ago

My slow cooker's been full of chicken thighs all week, henry101.

the_sage2d ago

Remember reading that baking soda tip and trying it once... made the beans taste weirdly soapy to me, so I just stick with water and a whole onion now. The onion just falls apart by morning and gives the beans this nice, sweet flavor without any extra work.