Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

Pinto Beans are a budget-friendly staple in our house and I make them quite often during the month as a quick and easy weeknight meal.  I can always find dried Pinto Beans on sale at the grocery store and there are several different ways I like to cook them. Here’s one of my recipes on how to make these delicious beans!

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 16 ounce package dried Pinto Beans
• Water
• 1 tablespoon Homemade Taco Seasoning

Directions:

1. In a colander, wash and rinse pinto beans. Place beans in a 8 quart stockpot. Fill stockpot with 3/4 cold water, cover and let soak overnight.
2. Next day, drain beans and rinse with cold water. Place beans in slow cooker. Add 6-8 cups hot water to slow cooker or enough to make it 3/4 full. (The amount of water will also depend on how big your slow cooker is.) Add taco seasoning. Stir until combined.  Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours.

Recipe Note: Serve cooked pinto beans with your favorite shredded cheese, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, avacado, rice or corn cakes.

One of our favorite ways to eat these beans, is to serve them in a taco salad. Add cooked beans in the bottom of the taco shell, add shredded lettuce and top with a few of the above toppings.

These are so easy to make and again very budget-friendly! Leftovers can be placed in ziploc bags or air tight containers and placed in the freezer. When ready to use, thaw in refrigerator and toss in the microwave to re-heat.

Enjoy!