You can be creative when making slow cooker pinto bean chili.
Using a slow cooker allows you to space out the timing of many dishes you may wish to cook. Instead of needing to attend to the food for an hour or more straight, you can do some of the work at the beginning then leave it alone for hours before finishing up. Chili with pinto beans works especially well in a slow cooker when you have other things to do, as you can leave it alone for hours at two different points.
Instructions
1. Put the pinto beans and water into a large bowl. Allow them to sit overnight. This will soften and rehydrate the pinto beans.
2. Pour the wet beans into a strainer to drain off the excess water, then put the beans into your slow cooker.
3. Add the herbs and spices, onion and tomatoes to the slow cooker. Stir well to blend, then pour in enough broth or stock of your choice to just cover the mixture in the slow cooker.
4. Turn the slow cooker on to its highest setting, put on the lid, and leave it alone for four to six hours or until the beans are soft and tender.
5. Check the beans after about four hours to make sure you do not accidentally overcook them.
Tags: slow cooker, leave alone, alone hours, beans into, four hours, leave alone hours