Easy Ham and Beans

I love ham and beans, it’s one of my favorite fall slow cooker meals. The only problem is I always forget to soak my beans in water the night before, and I don’t like all the sodium in the canned beans. It’s not usually a major problem, I just use the quick soak method to get them started in a hurry.

To soak your beans in a hurry (the quick soak method), simply rinse them thoroughly then put them in a pot of water and boil them for about 2 minutes. After you boil the beans for a couple minutes turn the stove off and let them sit for about an hour before you cook them.

Here’s my simple recipe for ham and beans:

• 1 pound of your favorite beans, I love pinto beans but navy, lima, or great northern beans also work well
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 1 pound of ham (chopped or diced)
• water to cover the beans

After you quick soak the beans (and let them sit for 1 hour), rinse them and refill them with enough water to cover the beans. You can cook them in a large pot on the stove on medium heat for about an hour, or until they’re tender. Add the onion and the ham when the beans are partially cooked and let all the flavors simmer together.

Or you can throw everything in a slow cooker and let it cook all day while you’re away.

Serve your ham and beans with a corn muffin or two. Yum!

Image (c) L Gerlach