Nancy's Pot of Beans

For lunch today I'm having some left over beans from our church fellowship (and awesome fireworks display!!!) Sunday night. I took my favorite Precious Pineapple Pie, but fell in love with my daughter's pot of beans.

It's not just the taste that I like - every ingredient has a long shelf life so you can keep all of the ingredients on hand, just don't run out of them. I know, it's all processed - but there's a place in our lives for processed food, and this is one of them.

Ingredients:
1 can pinto beans
1 can great northern beans
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can dark kidney beans
1 envelope dried onion soup
1 envelope ranch dressing
1 envelope chicken white chili

Instructions:
Don't drain the beans, add all the ingredients into a slow cooker, mix slightly and set to low for four hours.

OK, now we get to the flexibility part (you know how I love flexible recipes):

• Change the beans, or even add another can for a larger group. If you like black beans, go ahead and add. 
• Cook the beans from scratch, if you have the time and inclination, it's not a huge flavor changer. 
• Experiment with different flavors to match your family's taste. A touch of jalapeno would make it a bit spicier, too. I like a bit more cumin in mine. 

I really love simple recipes that are filling, easy to cook and taste wonderful. Gives me more time to do other things.