Slow Cooker Cranberry Beans with Bacon

Ingredients

• 1 poblano pepper
• 1 pound dried cranberry beans
• 1/2 pound diced bacon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 5 cups chicken stock, or more as needed
• 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle-flavored hot sauce (such as Tabasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce) (optional)

Directions

Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut poblano in half from top to bottom; remove the stem, seeds, and ribs. Place cut side-down onto baking sheet.

Cook poblano pepper under the preheated broiler until the skin of the pepper has blackened and blistered, 5 to 8 minutes. Place in a bowl and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Allow pepper to steam as it cools, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard skin; dice pepper.

Combine diced pepper, beans, bacon, onion, shallot, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a slow cooker. Pour in chicken stock.

Cook on High until beans begin to soften, about 3 hours. Taste broth to check seasoning. Stir in barbeque sauce and hot sauce. Continue cooking on High until beans soften and flavors are combined, about 3 hours more.