Crock Pot Ham and White Beans Recipe

This Crock Pot Ham and White Beans recipe is the best thing you can do with the leftover ham bone after the holidays: toss it in the slow cooker with a pound of navy beans and an onion, and hours later you have a thick, smoky, budget-friendly pot of beans that feeds the whole family. It takes about five minutes of hands-on work, and every spoonful tastes like it simmered on Grandma's stove all day.

After a big Christmas or Easter dinner, most of us end up with a meaty ham bone and a container of chopped ham in the fridge. Instead of letting it go to waste, this recipe turns it into a second (and third) meal. If you served our Easy 3-Ingredient Glazed Ham for the holiday, this is the perfect next-day plan. No leftover ham? Smoked ham hocks or ham shanks from the grocery store work just as well.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Dried white beans. Navy beans are small, creamy and hold their shape well over a long cook. Great Northern beans are a little larger and just as good. A 1-pound bag of dried beans, like these Camellia navy beans, costs far less than canned and gives you a thicker, richer broth.
• Leftover ham bone. A bone with some meat still clinging to it is ideal, since the bone, fat and connective tissue flavor the whole pot. If you don't have one, use 1 to 2 smoked ham hocks or ham shanks. Shanks are meatier; hocks are smokier.
• Diced cooked ham. Stirring in a couple of cups of chopped leftover ham makes this a hearty main dish. If your ham bone is very meaty, you can skip it.
• Onion. One yellow or white onion, coarsely chopped. It melts into the beans as they cook.
• Water. The beans need to stay covered by a couple of inches. Low-sodium chicken broth can replace some or all of the water for an even richer flavor.
• Salt and pepper. Ham is already salty, so add salt near the end and taste before adding the full amount.

Helpful Tips

Soak the beans first. An overnight soak helps dried beans cook evenly and become tender in the slow cooker. Cover them with a few inches of cold water, leave them on the counter overnight, then drain and rinse. Short on time? Bring the beans and water to a boil on the stove, boil for 2 minutes, then cover and let them sit for 1 hour before draining.

Wait to add the salt. Your ham will release plenty of salt as it cooks, and every ham is different. Adding salt during the last hour lets you taste the broth first so the beans don't end up too salty.

Control the texture with water. For soupy beans, keep the water about 3 inches above the beans. For a thicker, stew-like pot, use a little less water, and mash a cup of cooked beans against the side of the crock during the last half hour to thicken the broth.

Pull the meat off the bone. Once the beans are tender, lift out the ham bone or hocks, let them cool for a few minutes, then shred the meat and stir it back into the pot. Throw away the bone, skin and any gristle.

Use a slow cooker that fits. A 6-quart slow cooker, like this programmable Crock-Pot, holds a pound of beans, a big ham bone and enough water with room to spare. The programmable timer switches to warm when the cooking time is up, so the beans are ready when you get home.

Variations

• Add vegetables. Stir in 2 diced carrots and 2 ribs of celery with the onion for a classic ham and bean soup.
• Garlic and herbs. Add 3 minced garlic cloves, a bay leaf and a sprig of fresh thyme at the start. Remove the bay leaf and thyme stem before serving.
• Add greens. Stir a few handfuls of chopped kale, collards or spinach into the pot during the last 30 minutes.
• Make it spicy. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, a diced jalapeño or a few dashes of hot sauce.
• Try different beans. Pinto beans work well, or try red kidney beans for a dish closer to our Copycat Popeyes Red Beans and Rice. If you use kidney beans, boil them hard for 10 minutes before they go into the slow cooker.

Serving Ideas

Ham and beans and cornbread go together. Bake a batch of Easy Cornbread Muffins while the beans finish cooking, and crumble one right into your bowl. Fluffy drop biscuits or a slice of crusty bread are great for soaking up the broth too.

Top each bowl with chopped green onions or chives, a little diced raw onion, or a splash of hot sauce or vinegar to brighten up the rich, smoky flavor. A simple green salad or a side of coleslaw rounds out the meal. If you still have ham left over after this, make our Homemade Ham and Potato Soup later in the week.

Storing & Freezing

Let the beans cool, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They thicken as they sit, so add a splash of water or broth when you reheat them on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave. Many people think they taste even better the next day.

Ham and beans freeze beautifully, which makes this a great way to stretch holiday leftovers into future meals. Freeze in single-serving or family-size freezer containers, leaving about an inch of headspace, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove until it's steaming hot all the way through, adding liquid as needed.

More Leftover Ham Recipes

If you loved this recipe, here are a few more ways to use up your leftover ham:

• Homemade Ham and Potato Soup
• Copycat Popeyes Red Beans and Rice (Slow Cooker)
• Old Fashioned Ham Salad
• Ham and Cheese Frittata

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