Ham and Beans

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5 from 1 vote

Here's a yummy recipe to make for your family tonight! Serve with Skillet Cornbread.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Soaking Time:1 30

Total Time4 45

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Dutch Oven Cooking, Ham, Northern Beans, Pinto Beans

Servings:

Calories: 266kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

8 oz. dried Great Northern Beans
8 oz. dried pinto beans
8 cups water
2 cups cooked ham cubed
1 cup sweet onion chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium russet potato poked with a knife
2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Presoak the Beans

In a large pot, cover 8 oz. dried Great Northern Beans and 8 oz. dried pinto beans with 8 cups water (enough to cover) and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 60-90 minutes until beans have soaked up most of the water. Rinse and drain.
(You may also presoak the dried beans the night before by placing them in a large bowl covered with cold water. Allow them to soak overnight so they are nice and plump and ready to cook the next day. Discard any shells that have come off the beans.)

Prepare the Ingredients

Once the beans have presoaked, gather the ingredients so you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Using a sharp knife and cutting board, chop the 2 cups cooked ham into bite-sized pieces. Dice 1 cup sweet onion.

Cook the Beans

Add more water to the pot of beans, enough to cover about 2 inches above the beans. Stir in the chopped ham, diced onion, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add 1 medium russet potato that has been poked with a knife or fork a few times.
Bring water to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover the pot of beans with a lid. Simmer until beans are tender about 2 1/2-3 hours. Add water as necessary so that the beans are always covered by liquid.

Serve the Beans

When the beans are tender, remove the potato and if desired, add in 2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar. Stir well to combine. Taste the beans and add more kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired.
Serve hot with your favorite cornbread recipe. Serves 6-8.

Notes

*Quick and Easy Option - If you want to make this recipe really easy, you may use canned Northern Beans or Navy Beans, and Pinto Beans. To do this, you’ll need approximately 4-6 cans of beans. This option would only need to cook 40-60 minutes.

Nutrition