Slow-cooker Black Beans

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon 
• 0.5 cup celery diced
• 2 cups ham diced cooked
• 16 oz black beans dried
• 32 oz chicken broth fat-free low-sodium
• 3  garlic cloves chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 0.3 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper black
• 0.3 teaspoon ground pepper red
• 2 cups onion diced sweet

Equipment

• frying pan
• paper towels
• slow cooker

Directions

1. Rinse and sort beans according to package directions.
2. Place beans in a 6-qt. slow cooker.
3. Add water 2 inches above beans; let soak 8 hours.
4. Drain and rinse. Return beans to slow cooker.
5. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon; add to slow cooker.
6. Saut onion, celery, and garlic in hot drippings 7 to 8 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in ham, cumin, and ground peppers. Saut 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in 1/2 cup chicken broth, and cook 2 minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet; add mixture to slow cooker. Stir in remaining chicken broth and 1 cup water.
7. Cover and cook on HIGH 5 hours or LOW 8 hours or until beans are tender.