I’ve posted about these beans many times. I make them often because they are healthy, easy, cheap, and my kids love them. You can make them without the ham bone, but it’s so much better with it. Just remember to check for little pieces of ham bone that might have broken off during the long cooking. You do have to plan ahead for this recipe and it cooks for a very long time, but the prep takes about one minute.
Slow Cooker Pinto Beans
1 pound of dried pinto beans
1 ham bone
1/2 onion, as a chunk so you can remove it later
2 whole cloves of garlic
about 8 cups of water
8 beef bouillon cubes (you could also use beef broth if you have a thing against bouillon)
salt and pepper to taste
Rinse the dry beans (check for rocks) the evening before you want to eat them. Put them in the crock pot with the onion, garlic, water, and bullion cubes. Make sure the water covers the beans by a couple of inches. Cook on low all night and through the next day (about 20 hours). Remove and discard the ham bone, onion and garlic. Serve with shredded cheese, cilantro, avocado, and a little fresh lime juice (sour cream, tomatoes, and green onions are all good on top, too).
