Many people cook green beans on a stove, often by steaming, boiling or even sautéing them. These are not the only options available to a person, however. Some people choose to cook green beans in a slow cooker, such as a Crock-Pot®. There are many recipes for making Crock-Pot® green beans, and they all have the ability to deliver tender green beans. There are many brands of slow cookers, but many people refer to all green beans prepared in slow cookers as Crock-Pot® green beans, even if they use a different brand of slow cooker.
A Crock-Pot® is a type of slow cooker, which means that it produces cooked food at a much slower rate than might be achieved with stove-top cooking. It also cooks at a lower temperature, which some people think gives the flavors of the ingredients added to the pot time to blend well. A person can cook many types of food in a slow cooker, and many dishes call for a cooking time of eight or more hours on a low setting or four to six hours on a high setting. Cooking green beans this way often requires about four to six hours of cooking. Some people cook them for longer periods of time, however, without detracting from their taste or significantly affecting the texture of the cooked beans.
Crock-Pot® green beans usually are a fairly hassle-free food. In general, a person can simply add green beans — often cut in half — and water to the pot. He or she might also add seasonings to taste. Some people make other additions, such as onions or smoked meat, to improve the flavor of the dish. A cook might add potatoes to make the green bean dish more filling.
After the desired ingredients are added to the pot, the cook can put the lid on the pot, plug it in, and set it to low. The cook can then proceed with his or her daily activities without needing to stop and attend to the green beans. In fact, cooking experts typically recommend against lifting the lid of the Crock-Pot® to check on the food or stir it, because doing so allows steam to escape and might lengthen the amount of time that the food needs to cook.
Some people use little water or even no water when they are cooking Crock-Pot® green beans. A person can cook these vegetables without adding water by substituting with broth or a sauce instead. Some people even cook Crock-Pot® green beans in barbecue sauce.
