busy mom who needs a quick meal to make when you’re running errands all day, this slow-cooked ham and bean recipe gets the nod from all of us. The best ham hock recipe you’ve ever made.
Ham and bean hocks
this. Me. I have three girls who are in school. Did I mention THREE different schools? You drive luckily, and I work full time from home.
Needless to say, we are very busy, so Crockpot meals are my choice for eating healthy and eating together as a family at the end of the day
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It used to be difficult to cook from scratch, until this “magic pot” appeared in my life. Now cooking dried beans in a slow cooker is so easy, adding some meat there takes you from good to amazing.
Crockpot Ham & Beans
This year brought some new adventures. We moved 1,000 miles away AND my oldest daughter got her driver’s license! Both bring excitement and a bit of anxiety as our focus was on the cars we drove and we made sure they were great in the snow.
Once I got used to our new environment, it was time to find a new source of buying meat in bulk. We’ve always bought half a cow and/or pig from a local farmer and still wanted to continue with that. Once we did, we got a bunch of different cuts, which was great to be able to experiment with.
If you have never used ham or pork hocks, they have a TON of flavor, especially if they have been smoked. There’s really no need for much seasoning if you use one or two of these babies. It’s also a great recipe for leftover clay pot ham if you want to add what you have after the holidays.
Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking, okay? First of all, I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each has an occasion to be used as…
- This is my programmable 6-quart favorite with a locking lid, so it’s also great to take
- If you just want to serve a few appetizers, you should get this one that sits next to each other
- I prefer not to use coatings, but simply to sprinkle olive oil inside before adding my food for easy cleanings.
to a meal.
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Let me give you a look at my pretty thang I recently bought. It goes with my kitchen, so I can leave it on the countertop all the time. 😉
Slow cooker recipe for pinto beans
Admittedly, I’m a very busy mom, but lately I’ve focused on taking the time to focus on our family time. Our children are growing up and we are now at the point where we are counting the number of summers we have left. Using a pressure cooker or slow cooker like this makes it easier to eat together more often.
If you’re in the same boat, I suggest you use this more. You can literally throw everything there in the morning and not touch it all day.
When everyone is back from their busy days, you will be there perfectly tender to enjoy. Then you can discuss your day, together. You’ll look back on this and treasure it for sure.
- We value family dinners very much and try to do it at least 2-3 times a week
- start with canned beans if you only had a few hours on hand
- You could use leftover pressure ham you made the night before for this or the ham hocks are even better.
. You could
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However, the timing won’t matter if you use hocks, sliced ham fillet or precooked leftover ham. You still need some time to slowly soak and cook the pinto beans. Don’t rush.
Another option is to use mayonnaise beans or northern beans for this. They all have a fairly mild taste. You can soak overnight to decrease the time or simply rinse and throw them away.
When
I married my husband, we talked about making dinner together a priority. I will admit it at the beginning when we had 3 girls with 2 under 2 years old. I was overwhelmed and it didn’t happen often. The older they became, the easier it became. But running every day wasn’t over.
I
- needed to find a way to cook a delicious, healthy meal when I was out all day. That’s when I really started creating slow cooker recipes!
It was. A. Lifesaver!! This allowed me to prepare the ingredients, throw everything away, light it in the morning. Then she would know that when everyone was done with her task, we could serve her. I needed that, we needed that, and I felt the difference the more often we had family dinners together.
Over the years, dinners together slipped into the back of my mind and I have to be honest, we all feel the difference. Even my daughters reminded me that “we need to have dinner together more often” and got me going again. It really brought us together and it really was an easy thing to do when I consider it.
Now that my oldest son is almost away from home and ready to start college next year, I’ve tried to do it as often as possible.
If family dinners are important to you, too, but you’re not sure how to get started, try this easy Crock ham and bean recipe.
- Aim for once a week and build from there. Go around the table and have everyone share their ups and downs of the day… That always starts the conversation.
Another way we created a closer family bond was to take road trips together! To get started with this, simply find a place an hour away from home that everyone would enjoy.
What
I’m saying with all of this is that, as busy moms, we need to put the stop (literally and figuratively) on our “to-do list.” It’s a necessity and you won’t regret it.
Ham bone
- : ham hocks, or use leftover diced ham after the holidays
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- pinto beans, or northern beans found at the local grocery store
- Rinsed
beans
- Broth – I used meat broth
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- Onion carrots and celery can be added too
- cut into large pieces
- Condiments
- bay leaf is optional
Bag of dried beans,
The
And if you’re having a very busy day, we also have instructions for making Instant Pot ham and beans here too. Both are winners.
Slow-cooker dried beans
Pinto was used here, but northern beans are great too. If, instead, you use drained canned beans, it will only take 2-3 hours. White beans take less time than darker varieties. If you don’t add meat at all, I would add salt and pepper to give it more flavor.
- If you use dried beans, place them in a bowl with 4 cups of water and let them soak overnight. (You can use drained canned beans but I think dry turns out better)
- Cut or cut the onion into cubes.
- Put your ham hock in the center of your slow cooker. Drain the soaked beans and pour them around the ham hock.
- Separate the cut onion pieces and sprinkle around the ham hock over the beans.
- Sprinkle chopped garlic and seasonings around, on top of the onions. Then pour your chicken broth into your slow cooker and close the lid.
- Simmer for 6 to 8 hours for the dried beans soaked (until tender)
- After 6 hours (7 if you want softer beans), remove the bones from the ham hock and crumble the ham in a pot (it will fall apart when you use tweezers in it.
- I don’t recommend cooking high for this at all. They need time to get tender.
- Stir and serve!
Slow cooker ham and bean soup recipe
This would be an easy transition to make. Use the same ingredients listed below. You may want to add some sliced vegetables like carrots and celery halfway to make this more filling.
- You’ll just want to add more broth to make it “more soupier”
- This is also the best comfort food with a cooking time throughout the day.
Want to do this faster? Use your pressure cooker or put the canned beans in a Dutch oven and cook 1 hour over medium-high heat covered until tender!
Personally, I like to use dried beans to adjust with a pack of seasonings or the right amount of salt for us. However, it is another option. In this post there is a video that shows you how to make this easy recipe with leftover ham.
