Slow Cooker Bean and Bacon Sweet Potato Jacket

alexisknibbs

Oct 5

Slow Cooker Bean and Bacon Sweet Potato Jacket

Easy dinners are my favourites especially during the week when we are all busy with school and work. Beans are always a really nutritious dinner and I love them. Occasionally though I like to a change from the usual beans and jacket potato recipe. When I was thinking about what to eat the day I cooked this dish I noticed the bacon in the fridge. I decided to add it to the meal.

Bacon in the past few years has had a little bit of bad press. Many people believe it's not great for the body. When we buy bacon we always try to buy better quality. I like to buy bacon without nitrates. Nitrates are not harmful on their own but if you have bad bacteria in the body then they could be harmful. As I have gum disease I try to avoid nitrates.

There is very good quality bacon in the supermarkets nowadays. We don't eat it all the time so this is how we can afford to buy the better quality. Plus bacon makes meal so tasty. It was definitely a bonus ingredients in this meal. What's your favour bacon meal? Let me know in the comments below and please don't forget to like and follow me.

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Equipment

Sharp knife
Chopping board
Vegetable peeler
Slow cooker
Tablespoon
Teaspoon
Stirring spoon

Ingredients

Bacon x 8 rashers
Dried beans x 200g or 1 tin of canned beans (your choice)
Onion or leek x 1
Butternut squash x 200g
Carrots x 1 large
Red pepper x 1
Tom puree x 2 tbsp
Tamari x 1 large tbsp
Kale x 1
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Soak the cannellini beans overnight.
Drain the beans through a colander and rinse them well.
Add the beans to a large saucepan and cover the beans with water and then 2 inches above that as well.
Put baking powder into the water and turn the heat onto high.
Boil the beans for at least 20 mins.
When they start to soften remove from the heat.
Pour through the colander and rinse.
Set aside.
Peel, slice and dice the onion.
Or wash and remove the tops and tails from the leek then slice it.
Peel the butternut squash and remove any seeds.
Then cut the squash into 1 centimetre pieces.
Peel the carrot and cut into 1/2 centimetre pieces.
Cut the top from the pepper and remove the core and stalk.
Slice and dice the flesh of the pepper.
Put all of these ingredients in the slow cooker pot.
Add in the tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, tamari, dried mixed herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
Finally add in the beans and stir all the ingredients together.
Turn the slow cooker onto high for 3 hours or low for six hours.
Before the end of the cooking process preheat the oven to 180°C or gas mark 4.
Wash the sweet potatoes and pierce whole in them with the knife all the way round.
When the oven is preheated put the potatoes in for 1 hour or until soft in the middle.
Five minutes before the slow cooker needs switching off add in the kale and stir.
Remove the jacket potatoes in half and turn the slow cooker off.
Cut the jackets in half.
Take the lid from the slow cooker and add a quarter of the beans to the jacket.
Repeat for the rest of the jackets.
Then serve and enjoy.

Slow Cooker Bean and Bacon Sweet Potato Jacket was a delicious meal we all enjoyed. It's a great dish you can leave cooking for most of the day. You can make double of this meal and freeze any leftovers for another occasion. I ate the leftovers the next day and they were yummy as well. The beans could be served with a white potato or mash if you prefer. However you decide to eat this dish, as always, please enjoy. Thank you. xxx

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