Crock Pot - Great Beef, Great Beans, Great Dip! Longmeadow Farm

Beans do not grow on the farm. Lima beans do, but alas no Great Beans, kidney beans, or pinto beans. This occurred to me this day and this moment after spending a heated afternoon pulling lima beans from the long 7 foot vines. Here it is, late September in the year 2007 and we have enough beans to supply the lima bean population for the next two years. This recipe is NOT about lima beans though. We do however; have tomatoes. But this isn't a recipe about tomatoes either, sure--feel free to chuck a tomato into this dip, but certainly not a necessity. How much fun can you envision when throwing this together first thing on a Saturday or Sunday morning and enjoy relaxing at night during a cool spell and sit by your honey, your dog, your cat, your hamster, your ant house. Just pick up some old bread and make bread sticks if you have to, or those old tortilla chips sitting right there in back of your snack cupboard. Add pinto beans if you want, you can even add lima beans to the dip if you are so inclined. Just feast, just feel the moment, just enjoy the art of eating. Relish the moment like you've never relished it before.

• Ready In: 4 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb ground beef
• 2  slices bacon, crisp cooked crumbled (may sub turkey bacon)
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 (8 ounce) can  baked beans
• 1  small onion, chopped
• 1  jalapeno pepper, chopped (seeded and deveined) (optional)
• 1  small green bell pepper
• 1  medium tomatoes, fresh (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup ketchup
• 1  tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1  teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1  dash cayenne pepper (optional)

• Dippers

•  tortilla chips
•  pita bread
•  hearty  cracker

• Toppings

•  sour cream (can mix with dash of Tabasco Sauce)
•  fresh cilantro
• 3  tablespoons cheddar cheese (shredded)

Directions

1. Brown ground beef in skillet, breaking up meat. Drain fat transfer to slow cooker.
2. Add rest of ingredients in a no particular order but make sure you get them all stuffed into crock pot, and mix well.
3. Cover; cook for 4 hours low, 2 hours on high.
4. Top with all the wonderful toppings.
5. Scoop with variety of scoopers.
6. I personally add way more spice to mine, but you do what suits you!