TRY THESE Beans (over Rice) in the Crockpot!!

1 lb. dried beans

   (Optional:  soak beans overnight in cold water to reduce cook time and improve digestibility.  Drain and rinse before cooking) NOTE:  if you're starting with completely dried kidney beans, they need special handling because of their natural toxin. Pinto beans are much less of a concern, but I still recommend soaking and boiling the beans before putting them in the slow cooker.

1 onion, diced

2-3 stalks celery, diced

1 lb. smoked sausage, thinly sliced

3 bay leaves

6 cup broth, water, or a combination

     plus:  carrots, green pepper, chopped garlic, canned tomatoes???

Seasoning suggested:

          (1 tsp. Creole seasoning, plus more to taste)

          S & P

          1 T. Worcestershire sauce  

ChatGPT suggested:

For a crockpot full of beans:

• 1–1½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½–1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1–2 bay leaves
• 1–2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Put all in crockpot and stir to combine.  Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, until beans are soft and creamy.

Discard bay leaves.

Serve over rice.

Freezer tip:  Double the recipe and freeze half for later - you can even freeze cooked rice separately for a complete freezer meal.

What other veggies could I add to make it even more vegetable-y?  Carrots?  Green peppers?

Yum