Ham and Beans Recipe

Each ham and beans recipe listed here represents a marriage made in heaven. There's just something about ham and beans that make them belong together in any beans recipe.

I sometimes interchange cooked ham with smoked ham hocks. I suggest avoiding the packaged ham and beans you find in the grocery. They are artificially flavored. There's nothing like the real thing.

Ham and Northern Beans Recipe

1 pound dry great Northern beans
1/2 pound cooked ham, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tablespoon dried parsley

Rinse the dry great northern beans in a large pot. Discard any shriveled beans and any small stones. Add 8 cups of cold water. Let the beans sit overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse the beans again.

Return the beans to the pot and add the ham, onion, brown sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne and parsley and enough water to cover. Bring the beans to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beans are tender. You may need to add more water during the cooking time.

My favorite way of eating this dish is to crumble cornbread in a bowl and then ladle ham and beans in. Sprinkle diced raw onion on top.

Substitute pinto beans and you have a pinto beans and ham recipe. Which is also one of my favorites.

I can remember my Aunt making this next recipe when I was just a child. I try my best to duplicate what she did but it just doesn't come out the same. Maybe it's because her beans and new potatoes were fresh from her garden.

Ham and Beans Recipe With Green Beans

2 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
1 large onion, chopped
3 ham hocks
1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
ground black pepper to taste

Halve the beans if they are large and place in a slow cooker with water to barely cover. Add the onion and the ham hocks to the beans. Cover and cook on High until simmering. Reduce heat to Low, and cook for 2 to 3 hours, or until beans are crisp but not done.

Add the new potatoes and cook for another 45 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking remove the ham hocks from slow cooker and remove the meat from bones. Chop or shred meat and return to slow cooker.

Season the beans with garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, bouillon, and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are done and then adjust the seasoning to taste.

To serve, use a slotted spoon to put beans, potatoes, and ham into a serving dish and add a little of the broth.

You will be pleasantly surprised at how good this dish is!

Like I said ham and beans are a dish made in heaven. Use your imagination and come up with your own ham and beans recipe.