"Beanie Weenie" was a staple of C-Rations (field rations consisting of three cans, plus various sundries. Replaced by MREs in the 1980's), and are still made today by Stokely-VanDeKamps as a canned "fast prep" item (just open the can, dump into a cooking container, nuke 'em--dinner). However, the canned variety has way too much in sucrose and sodium for my tastes. So, time to haul out the crock pot and see if I can improve on the original. This is what I cam up with:
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry 3-bean mix
- 3 tbls canola oil
- ½ gal water
- 15 ozs can of marinara sauce
- 1-2 lb smoked sausage
- 2 ozs molasses
- 2 tsps seasoned salt Optional
Instructions
Prep Work I:
01) Rinse out crock pot
02) Put 3-bean mix in pot
03) Stir in oil
04) Pour water into crock pot, stir.
05) Cover, start heat at high for two hours.
06) uncover, stir, lower heat to "low"
07) let simmer for 8-12 hours.
Prep Work II:
A) Open sausage package, cut into coins.
B) Open Marinara sauce
C) ready dose of molasses.
Putting it together:
a) Shut off crock pot, let cool.
b) Drain beans in collander, return to cooker
c) Add rest of ingredients.
d) Stir, re-lid, cook on high heat for two hours.
e) uncover, stir, recover, turn on low until ready to serve.
f) shut off crock pot one hour before serving.
g) serve and enjoy!
Added Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010