The French bean dish, "cassoulet" inspired this pinto bean bake with chicken thighs and spicy sausage.

Ingredients:
•4 slices bacon, diced
•4 chicken thighs, with skin and bone
•Salt and pepper
•2 medium onions, chopped
•1 large carrot, diced
•1/2 cup chopped celery
•12 ounces andouille sausage or other spicy smoked sausage, sliced or diced
•2 bay leaves
•4 cloves garlic, chopped
•1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
•1 teaspoon salt
•2 teaspoons Creole seasoning blend
•2 1/2 cups chicken broth
•1/2 cup dry red wine
•1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices
•3 cans (16 ounces each) pinto beans, or about 4 to 5 cups cooked pinto beans

Preparation:
In a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven, cook bacon until fat is rendered.
Wash chicken thighs and pat dry. Add the chicken thighs to the pot and brown for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and bacon pieces to a plate and set aside. Add the onions, carrot, celery, and sausage to the pot and sautι until vegetables are softened. Add the bay leaves, garlic, thyme, salt, Creole seasoning, chicken broth, and wine. Add the bacon and chicken thighs back to the mixture, along with the diced tomatoes. Cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Remove chicken and cut meat from the bones. Add the chicken meat back to the pot; stir in the pinto beans.

Heat oven to 200°.

Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more chicken broth if needed to keep beans moist.

Serve with salad and crusty hot rolls or sliced French bread.
Serves 6 to 8.

Get ready for the best Pinto beans you have ever had in your life! Even though this is an easy recipe, we will take you through it step-by-step. It takes 8 hours to cook these beans.

Pinto Bean Ingredients
This recipe calls for:
2 Cups Dry Pinto Beans
8 Cups Water
1 Tablespoon Salt
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Small Jalapeno Pepper
2 Slices of Bacon

Pinto Bean Equipment
For this recipe you will need:
Crock Pot
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Strainer

First Step: Washing Pinto Beans
First, place the 2 cups of dry Pinto Beans on the counter and pick
out any of them that don't look appetizing. Then throw out the bad
beans and put the good ones into a strainer and rinse them off
thoroughly.

Second Step: Boiling Pinto Beans
Next, in a sauce pan bring the Pinto Beans to a boil for five
minutes. Then remove them from the burner and let them sit for an
hour.

Third Step: Draining Pinto Beans
Once they have sat for an hour, strain the water off of them. If the
skins of the beans are flaking off, that is ok, they are supposed to
do that.

Fourth Step: Peppers and Garlic
Now take your small Jalapeno pepper and remove the seeds by cutting
down the side and scraping them out.

Then take the 3 cloves of garlic and remove the husks from them.

Do not chop up either of these ingredients.

Adding Ingredients
Fifth Step: Crock Pot
Now put the following ingredients in a crock pot and set the dial on
medium heat:
2 Cups Boiled Pinto Beans
8 Cups Hot Water
1 Tablespoon Salt
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Jalapeρo Pepper
2 Slices of Bacon
It should take approximately 8 hours on medium heat for the beans to
cook through. The beans should come to a very low boil. If they
begin to go into a rolling boil, turn them down. If your water
starts boiling away, add more water. After the first time you cook
pinto beans, you will be able to determine the correct setting on
your crock pot to maintain a low boil.

8 hours later, your beans will be done! We usually cook them over
night.

Here's a tasty recipe using pink or pinto beans with ham hock, tomatoes, and seasonings.

Ingredients:
•1 pound dried pinto beans, washed, picked over and drained
•ham bone or large ham hock
•1 teaspoon salt
•1/8 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
•2 to 3 tablespoons bacon drippings or butter
•1 large onion, chopped
•1 large clove garlic, minced
•1 can (about 15 ounces) tomatoes, chopped
•1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
•1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
•1/4 teaspoon ground marjoram
•1 tablespoon chili powder, or to taste

Preparation:
In deep stock pot, cover beans with cold water and and let soak overnight. Next day, add ham bone, salt, and Tabasco sauce. Bring beans to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, or until beans are tender. Drain beans, reserving liquid. While beans are cooking, heat bacon drippings or butter in a skillet; add onion and garlic and cook over medium low heat until onion is tender. To skillet, add tomatoes, parsley, thyme, marjoram, chili powder, and 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid. Taste and add salt if necessary. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes. Combine tomato mixture with beans; simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove ham hock or ham bone before serving.
Serves 6 to 8.

Pinto beans slow cooked with ham and seasonings.

Ingredients:
•1 pound dried pinto beans, sorted and washed
•3 cups water
•1 large onion, chopped
•4 to 8 ounces cooked ham, chopped
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•1/2 cup chopped green pepper
•1 tablespoon chili powder
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon pepper
•1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
•1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Preparation:
Cover beans with water and soak overnight; drain. Put beans in a large kettle; cover with fresh water and simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Drain.
Place beans in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker with water and remaining ingredients. Cover cooker and cook on low setting for 9 to 11 hours, or until beans are soft and done. Stir a couple of times during cooking and add more water if necessary. Serve with cornbread, rice, a green salad or slaw.
Serves 8 to 10

3 to 5 heavily smoked ham hocks
2 lbs. dry pinto beans, washed & cleaned
1 lg. onion, chopped
3 lg. cloves garlic

Place ham hocks, onion and garlic into a large cooking pot. Add enough water to fill the pot about 3/4 full. Boil 1 to 2 hours or until the hocks are tender. Add pinto beans and water as necessary and continue cooking 1 to 2 hours more until the beans are done. If you soaked the beans before hand, the time required for this part may be reduced. If you like them zesty, a couple of Jalapeno peppers may be added here. Taste is important here. I like to cook mine until the beans begin to fall apart and the broth begins to look like thick bean soup, but I feel this greatly enhances the flavor.
Serves 6-8.

Pinto beans are cooked with smoked sausage and a ham bone or ham hock, along with garlic, tomatoes, and seasonings. Serve these savory pinto beans with hot boiled rice.

Ingredients:
•1 pound dried pinto beans, soaked overnight
•6 cups water
•1 ham hock or leftover ham bone
•1 medium onion, chopped
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•1 1/2 teaspoons salt
•1 pound andouille smoked sausage or similar smoked sausage, sliced
•1 can (14.5 ounces) tomatoes, diced
•1 can (4 ounces) diced mild green chili peppers, or mixture of mild and jalapeno
•boiled white rice

Preparation:
Combine soaked and drained beans with water, ham hock, onion, and garlic in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 45 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hock and shred ham from bone with a fork. Return ham to bean mixture.
Serve over hot cooked rice.
Serves 6.