After the holiday, I make sure to use up any extra ham in dinner recipes such as ham salad, scalloped potatoes with ham, and this super flavorful ham and beans. Ham and beans is a comfort food classic for good reason. It’s inexpensive, hearty and full of savory flavors. My version uses dried beans, and leftover ham to make a meal that is a total crowd pleaser. Add a side of honey cornbread and dinner is served!
Ham And Beans Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need white beans, butter, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, ham bone or a ham hock, thyme, rosemary, brown sugar, bay leaf, water, diced ham, salt, black pepper and parsley.
How Do You Make Ham And Beans?
Start by soaking a pound of dry white beans overnight. Melt the butter in a large pot, then add the carrots, onions and celery. Cook the vegetables until they start to soften, then add the garlic. Place the beans in the pot, along with the ham bone, thyme, sugar and bay leaf. Add the water and bring everything to a simmer. Cook until the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf, sprigs of herbs and the ham bone. Stir in the diced ham. Cook for a few more minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Add some fresh parsley, and serve.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
You can use a leftover ham bone or a ham hock. If you use a leftover ham bone, reserve diced ham to add to the finished dish. If you go with a ham hock, you can cut the meat off the bone, then add it to the mix. This dish can also be made in the slow cooker. Place the ham bone, soaked beans, water, seasonings and herbs in the crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hours, then stir in the ham and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then top with parsley and serve. Cut your carrots and celery into larger pieces so that they’ll hold up during the long simmering time. Any size dry white bean will work, so feel free to choose your favorite.
Ham And Beans Flavor Variations
This recipe is great as-is, but you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
Meat: You can add other meat to this dish such as smoked sausage or bacon. Vegetables: Feel free to add other vegetables such as leeks, green bell pepper or a can of tomatoes. Beans: While this dish calls for white beans such as Great Northern beans, you can use other types such as a soup bean mix, lima beans, cannellini beans, pinto beans, navy beans or red beans.
Ham and Beans Video
