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I have heard that the week of Thanksgiving is one of the biggest weeks for ordering carry-out pizza. Do you know why? It’s because people who are doing the cooking (like me) want one less meal to prepare. Take it one step further if you are cooking AND you have out of town family staying with you. I can see where these people are coming from.
But what if you had a go-to, trusty and Indiana made product in your pantry for weeks just like this? With a recipe so easy it literally takes 5 minutes to assemble and can feed a crowd? One that comes in under $10 for the whole recipe? This is a great way to use up your leftovers. Kick it up a notch and use your leftover turkey to make the Hurst Beans 15 bean Cajun chili!
If you live in Indiana you can find a large variety of Hurst’s Beans at almost any grocery store, especially Marsh Groceries. Visit the Hurst WEBSITE for distribution locations. I have seen their beans in Virginia and Florida so keep an eye out!
This particular recipe can be made using the overnight/quick soak method OR my preferred way: the slow cooker. I almost exclusively use my crock pot for beans. Do you know why? Because I almost always forget to soak them overnight and they always turn out perfectly when I slow cook them. Remember the Hurst Chili I made a few months ago on IndyStyle?
Recipe HERE
I made 15 Bean Soup today and it turned out perfectly. I used a pork jowl that was about 2 pounds for flavor. Use what you like, this recipe is very forgiving. But don’t forget 2 things: Do not add your lemon juice and tomatoes until the end. The acid hampers the softening of the beans. Also, do not lift the lid on the crock pot. You add 30 minutes to the cooking time every time you sneak a peek!
Ingredients
- 1 pkg Hurst’s® HamBeens® 15 Bean Soup®
- 8 cups water
- 1 lb. smoked sausage, cooked ground sausage, or ham
- 1 lg. onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp red pepper or chili powder
- 1 can tomatoes (15 oz.) I used Red Gold petite diced
- Juice from 1 lemon
Instructions
- Sort and rinse beans, check for any unwanted debris and discard.
- Drain and place in a slow cooker with 8 cups of water, onions, meat, garlic and red pepper or chili powder.
- Do NOT add the tomatoes yet.
- Set slow cooker on high and cook for 5 hours (or low for 7-8), or until beans are tender, but not falling apart.
- After the beans are tender, stir in the can of tomatoes, our Ham Flavor packet, and the lemon juice.
- Cook for additional 30 minutes then keep warm and serve when ready.
- Please keep in mind that every time the lid is opened, your cooking time will be longer.
Important Notes
This recipe is from the Hurst Beans website. I altered it by using a pork jowl instead of ham. Use any meat you want. I have used ham, pork, chicken and ham. It’s good no matter what you use! Serve with a nice salad and cornbread and you are ready to feed a crowd.
