Can I do this?

[puppyloven]

I want to make like a white chicken chili in the crockpot but I only have dried beans (great northern). Can I put all my ingredients plus the dried beans in there? will it take too long to cook? I know I will have to watch my water level....what to do? Should I soak the beans first?

Thanks!!

[tesslouise]

I would soak the beans first--you can do a quick soak (bring to a boil on the stove, take off the heat, let sit for 2-10 minutes) or soak overnight in cold water. Beyond that, I don't know.

It doesn't help right now, but I cook batches of dried beans in the crockpot and freeze them in almost-2-cup bags, so I have cooked beans on hand.

[CarrieAnn0413]

I always soak my beans overnight. I wouldn't attempt to cook with them without any soaking either overnight or a quick soak/boil. I have read the beans cook best in a crock pot on high. If you cooked it all together I would think the beans would take so long your chicken texture might not be that great. I think great northern beans take about 3 hours on high in the crockpot to cook after soaking so if you will be home I would soak them overnight, rinse and add new water in the morning and cook on high for 3 hours then add the rest of your ingredients and cook until chicken is done. I dont think the beans will get overcooked since you could make the chili with canned beans and it would work out. good luck. chili sounds yummy!!

[puppyloven]

thanks ladies!

[Aleta]

I make it all the time - I rinse my beans and cook on low in the crockpot overnight. Then in the morning I drain them again and put them back in the crockpot with some chicken broth and bump it up to high for about 4 hours. Take half out and mash them, add seasonings and chicken, and back on low until dinner time. We like our chili mushy though as my kiddos don't like beans.

[Meighan]

Like PP said, I would soak them--I tried to make some chili on the stove a few weeks ago, and didn't soak my beans before throwing them in with everything else. Let's just say they eventually cooked through, but it took FOREVER.

[mercy589]

Here is a recipe where you don't soak the beans or anything, you just dump it all in - dry beans, dry rice, uncooked chicken... its soooo easy!

http://onelittlewordsheknew.blogspot...mom-gumbo.html