Crockpot Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

Now that Fall is right around the corner, we're breaking out the crockpot for some down home recipes that you can simmer all day for a tasty dinner (with not much effort).

This one turned out pretty tasty and even had my meat-eating husband going back for seconds. We're definitely adding this one into the rotation. With such a small amount of prep time, there was a definitely a big payoff with these sloppy joes.

Crockpot Vegetarian Sloppy Joes

1 1/3 cups dried black eyed peas

1 cup minced carrots

2/3 cup quinoa

2 Tbsp minced bell pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp Cajun seasoning

1//2 tsp liquid smoke

6 cups water

1 cup minced greens of choice

6 oz can tomato paste

1/2 cup Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce

salt and pepper to taste
buns for serving

1. Wash the dry beans. Place them into a pot and cover with at least 2 inches of water. Let them soak 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain water and place the drained beans in a crockpot. Add minced carrots, quinoa, minced bell pepper, garlic, Cajun seasoning, liquid smoke, and water. Cover and cook on low setting for 7 to 9 hours.
3. About 1 hour before you wish to serve, add minced greens, tomato paste, and barbecue sauce. Cover and cook on low for an additional hour.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving on buns.

Notes:

For those of you unfamiliar with cooking with dried beans, please do not dump the opened pack directly into the pot! Sort through the beans a handful at a time and remove any discolored or misshapen beans (or anything that looks suspiciously like rocks). Place them in a colander and rinse them before placing in a pot and cooking.

Keep in mind that if you've had a bag of beans sitting in your pantry for a while (or even if you just bought them but they've been sitting on the grocery shelf for a while), they might take even longer to cook. So it's always best to leave yourself a little wiggle room with the timing of a dry bean recipe. Always make sure to give it a taste before serving! ;-)

If you're looking for a tried and true traditional Sloppy Joe recipe, give this one a try. It's a staple in Harris Sister Deanna's home for Halloween night.