Beans are packed full of protein and fiber and they're CHEAP. Dried beans cost approximately $1 per pound (2 to 2 1/4 cups of dried beans is roughly a pound) and once fully cooked, the end result leaves you with as much as 6 times the amount of beans you started with! They are easy to make but they do require a few extra steps than your store bought canned variety.
The easiest way to prepare dried beans is to soak them overnight in a large bowl of water. In the morning, drain and rinse the beans then place in a slow cooker on high with plenty of water until they are done. Depending on your slow cooker, the amount of beans you are cooking as well as the type of bean, cooking can take anywhere from 4-8 hours. Once done, beans can be used right away (doubtful if you're like me and cook 2+ pounds of beans at a time) or froze flat in freezer bags for future use.
Another method of cooking beans is by using a pressure cooker. This saves time, frees up space in your freezer, and gives the cooked beans a longer shelf life. For more on pressure canning, see my post Preserving Food - Pressure Canning.
Use navy beans to make baked beans, pinto beans to make refried beans, chickpeans (garbanzo beans) to make hummus, great northern beans to make Greek-style Bean Burgers or black beans to make veggie burgers. The possibilities are endless.
2 pound bag of dried beans
approximately 12 cups cooked beans
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