Crockpot Nation

I have never been a member of the Crockpot Nation. I don't pin hundreds of recipes that feature the popular slow-cooker to a Pinterest board exclusively devoted to the topic in my spare time. I don't share Memes and Posts around my mom's and foodie groups on Facebook and Google+. In fact, I only use my small slow-cooker about two times a year: Once at Thanksgiving and once on Superbowl Sunday; both times to hold my Rotel Dip.

 

Now, you should know that I am at my highest moment of culinary creativity when my cupboard starts to get a little thin. When I have worked my way through the canned goods and bagged items until all I have left are the beans, rice, and pasta - that is the moment when I am ready to try something new. I had arrived at that moment two days ago, and so, I looked to the bags at the back rear of my little cupboard: Pinto Beans, and Red Kidney Beans.

 

Mind you, I've never eaten Red Kidney Beans in my life, let alone cooked them, but I grew up on Pinto Beans, so being that Red Kidney Beans happen to share half a name with one of the greatest comfort foods of all time made this endeavor just a bit easier. I sorted and soaked both bags of beans, and set them in separate containers to soak overnight. Then last night, I brought out my slower-cooker. It only holds a couple of quarts at a time, so I first cooked the pinto beans, transferred the beans to another container; washed out the cooker dish, boiled the red kidney beans, then put them in the slow cooker with spices and bay leaves and started the process again.

 

As a result, I had a DELICIOUS and hearty bowl of Pinto & Kidney Beans for lunch with a slice of my homemade bread. Those beans....ohhhhh, those beans.

 

 

Fun Fact: I won this slow-cooker as a prize from Dave & Busters!

 

 

So, if I can do something other than melt Velveeta in my slow-cooker, who's to say I'm not the newest citizen of the venerable Crockpot Nation?

 

What is your favorite recipe to cook with the slow cooker, and why?