Slow Cooker Ham & White Beans
This recipe is super simple. It uses a pound of dried beans and simmers all day in the crockpot with a big ham bone. If you don't have a ham bone, use some ham shanks, ham hocks or just some chopped up ham. I love the creaminess of white beans combined with the saltiness of the ham. This is comfort food at its best!
This recipe is super simple. It uses a pound of dried beans and simmers all day in the crockpot with a big ham bone. If you don't have a ham bone, use some ham shanks, ham hocks or just some chopped up ham. I love the creaminess of white beans combined with the saltiness of the ham. This is comfort food at its best!
- Carbohydrate 0.0605025 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0007875 g
- Fiber 0.00427499985694885 g
- Protein 0.00759 g
- Saturated Fat 0.00013725 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (1876g)
- Sodium 211.952500048084 mg
- Sugar 0.0562275001430511 g
- Trans Fat 0.0002025 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Rinse and sort the beans for any pebbles.
- Add the the rinsed beans, onion powder, salt, pepper, and ham to the crock pot.
- Add water.
- Cover and cook on low about 8 hours, until beans are tender.
- Remove ham bone, shanks or hocks and pull off the meat.
- Add meat to the crock pot and mix.
- Serve with cornbread.
Throwing unsoaked dried beans straight into the slow cooker without sorting them first ruins the texture of the entire batch. Dried northern beans require a careful visual inspection to discard shriveled legumes and stray debris. Simmering them low and slow draws out the collagen from ham shanks or hocks, naturally thickening the cooking liquid without added starches.
- Sort through the pound of dried beans on a rimmed baking sheet before rinsing them under cold running water.
- Use a 6-quart or larger slow cooker to ensure the six cups of water submerge all ingredients completely without spilling over during the eight-hour cook cycle.
- Keep the lid closed for the first six hours of cooking to maintain a steady internal temperature and prevent steam loss.
- Check the beans at the seven-hour mark; older dried beans can take up to ten hours to soften depending on pantry age.
- Pair the finished dish with warm cornbread to balance the salinity of the cured pork with sweet, crumbly grains.
Extracting every scrap of meat from the bone yields maximum value from inexpensive cuts. Store leftovers in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
