BBQ Beef and Beans in the Slow Cooker

Here's a recipe for your Super Bowl celebration. You can get it going long before the game starts so you don't need to fuss over it at all. Involves a little chopping, then you layer everything in the slow cooker and let 'er rip. Though slow cooker don't really rip. The idea is to go long and slow, transforming even tough cuts to tender goodness.

BBQ Beef and Beans in the Slow Cooker
(serves 8)

1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can navy beans, rinsed and drained
2 green peppers, cored, seeded and chopped into ½" pieces
2 large onions, chopped into ½" pieces
2 ½ pounds chuck roast cut into bite-size pieces
1 ½ cups BBQ sauce (here's one or bottled)
salt to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper

Pour all the beans in a slow cooker. Cover with green peppers and onions. Then put on the pieces of beef. Do not stir. Pour on ¾ cup of the BBQ sauce. Cover and cook on high for 1 ½ hours. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 6 hours, covered. Pour on the remaining BBQ sauce, remove the cover, and cook for another hour. Season with additional salt, if needed, and black pepper. Serve over mashed potatoes or rice. You could also serve it over crunchy bread, but it's too soupy to put in a sandwich you can hold.

Adapted from 365 One-Dish Meals by Natalie Haughton, Harper & Row, 1990.