Last week I talked about pinto beans, if you missed it you can read it here, and while the recipes I put on could be substituted with white or navy beans, the way I cook my navy beans differs somewhat.
Kristi’s Navy Beans and Sausage
1 lb dry navy beans, looked and soaked overnight
1 lb hot breakfast sausage, cooked, crumbled, and drained
Italian seasoning
Chicken base or chicken broth
Salt and Pepper
Garlic and onion, optional
Rinse and drain beans. Place in slow cooker and cover with water or broth. Add in sausage and seasonings and a spoon of chicken base if using. Cover and cook until beans are done.
Another favorite:
Senate Bean Soup
1 lb dry navy beans
1 meaty ham bone
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup instant potato flakes or 1 ½ cups mashed potatoes
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 ½ tsp pepper
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
Wash and sort beans; soak overnight or cover with water , bring to boil, boil 2 minutes remove from heat cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Add more water and ham bone. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 ½ hours. Stir in remaining ingredients; simmer 20-30 minutes until beans are tender. Remove ham bone, rim off meat and return meat to soup; remove bay leaf. Serve hot; freezes well. This is great made in the crockpot as well.
Great Northern Beans can be substituted in the above recipes without changing the taste very much.
One way I like to use up these white versions is to make a pot pie with them.
Make up your favorite pie crust recipe and fill with cold beans. Top with a another crust and poke a few holes in the top, seal and bake until done. If desired you can make up a chicken gravy and pour over the beans before topping with crust.
Very good and filling especially on cold winter days.
Until next time….Happy Frugal Eating!
