Cowboy Beans (Crock-Pot)

Great and easy way to make a lot of tasty beans! The best thing about this recipe is its versatility- lightly mashed its great served with bbq or added to corn and rice (bean corn and rice salad). Great for potlucks and this can be dressed up or down to your liking. This is also great in the layered dips instead of canned (eww) refried beans. I do several batches at one time to freeze for later.

• Ready In: 20 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 2  cups  dried beans (I love black but pinto work well)
•  water
• 2  small yellow onions (sliced thin or minced)
• 10  garlic cloves (don't freak it'll be ok)
• 2  tablespoons cumin seeds or 1 1⁄2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 16  ounces beer
• 7  slices bacon (thick)
•  salt, and pepper-

Directions

1. Rinse and drain picking out all the rocks/debris/skins -- Cover with water to soak overnight.
2. Dump water and rinse again. Put garlic and onion in the crockpot add beans and water (or broth). Cook on low for about 9 hours- they need to be a bit on the firm side but not crunchy.
3. After the beans reach the right consistency, drain and remove the garlic- you can either toss them or mash them and reserve to add to the bacon fat in the next step. Cook the bacon either on the stove or in the oven so that the fat can be reserved and bacon crumbled.
4. Put bacon fat in the bottom of a heavy pot- medium heat (if you like your beans a bit spicy you can saute minced jalapeno to the bacon fat before adding beans- I love to add tomatillos and jalapenos). Add all the beans and start mashing with a potato masher. Add the beer and keep mashing. When it is as mashed as you like lower the heat and cook off the beer stirring occasionally. Season to taste.
5. Top with crumbled bacon, cheese, pico or just go crazy.