Bacon Bean and Turkey Slow Cooker Soup

I don’t know about you, but I happen to think that almost any recipe can be made better with just a little (or a whole lot) of bacon. It’s the universal food that everyone seems to love and obsess over. I know that as soon as my kids get a whiff of it frying up in the pan, they’ll eat whatever goes with it.

I’m also a big slow cooker fan, especially on busy school nights when we have very little time between school and evening activities. So, I really can’t think of much that sounds better than when bacon comes together with my slow cooker for an easy and delicious meal. A new one I recently tried with some left over turkey from Thanksgiving was a Bacon Bean and Turkey Slow Cooker Soup using Hurst Beans.  This time of year it seems there is always turkey left over from one holiday or another, so this is a great option for the coming months (however, it would taste just as good without the turkey, because like I said earlier – B.A.C.O.N.)

Now, I used turkey in this recipe because I was making it right after Thanksgiving. However, it would be just as good with ham, which tends to be a family favorite meal for Christmas or even Easter. So, this is a great little recipe to tuck away and use whenever you’ve got leftovers on hand.

I also like it, because it makes enough that I was able to freeze part of the batch into single servings for lunches in the weeks following.  I work from home and get pretty tired of the same old sandwiches all the time. Plus, my kids like to take soup to school sometimes.

Okay, so here are the ingredients you’re going to need for your Bacon Bean and Turkey Slow Cooker Soup:

1 15.5 oz bag of Hurst Slow Cooker Bacon and Beans

8 Cups Water (you can also use chicken broth or a mix of both)

1 lb bacon cooked crispy

1 medium white onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1-2 cups leftover turkey

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Start with your Hurst Slow Cooker Beans and open the package and then place in a colander to rinse them (you don’t need to soak them, just rinse).

Once the beans are rinsed go ahead and add them to the slow cooker, then round up your other ingredients. Yes, I know I’ve got a picture of lower sodium bacon, it was a mistake on my part I’ll be honest, but it tasted just as good. So, go with whatever works for you. 🙂

You’ll need to prepare the bacon. You can do this the traditional way in a skillet or sometimes I will line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and cook the bacon in the oven on 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes.  Once it’s done cooking, break into small pieces and add to the slow cooker. While the bacon is cooking, you can chop the onion and the garlic and add that as well. Finally, pour in 8 cups of water or chicken broth or a combination of the two (sometimes I’ll do four cups of each).

Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8-9 hours (4 – 5 on high).  Once the beans are tender, add in the seasoning packet from the package of Hurst Slow Cooker Bacon and Beans and your leftover turkey (or ham) (or nothing, it’s darn good without any add-ins) and then cook on low for an additional 30 minutes. I add the leftover meat at the end just to make sure it stay tender. It’s already been cooked so it doesn’t need another 8-9 hours in the slow cooker.

I will often prepare slow cooker soup recipes in the evening before I go to bed and then let them cook over-night. I’ll add the seasoning packet in the morning and then just keep the soup on warm for the day until we’re ready to serve. I like giving it the extra time for the seasonings to settle and honestly it’s just less crazy at night than trying to do it in the morning.  But either way will give you one delicious bowl of soup!

If you would like some alternative ways to prepare Hurst Slow Cooker Bacon and Beans they’ve got recipes for a Southern Style, Cowboy Style or New England Style, just click HERE.

What would you serve with this Bacon Bean and Turkey Slow Cooker Soup?