Crock Pot Northern Beans & Ham

Crock pot creamy Northern Beans and Ham with a hint of sweetness from brown sugar. 

Good morning everyone and Happy Super Bowl Sunday!!! Last week Texas received ice and then some snow. It's hard to believe we got both in the same week, but it does occasionally happen. 

This is the first time that I can remember that school was closed for 4 days straight! All I can say is I'm glad all that stuff is finally melted cause it sure was cold outside. We stayed indoors for the most part and only ventured out a few times for milk and few essentials.  

We enjoyed lots of tummy warming meals, soups, beans and oatmeal for breakfast. I had posted on face book that I had a big crock pot full of Northern Beans & Ham cooking for dinner. A few folks wanted the recipe, so I am finally getting it posted on the blog. 

Nothing warms you up better than a big bowl of beans and cornbread. I grew up eating many of pots of beans. Most likely because they were very cheap and they could feed a crowd. I've always loved the convenience of canned beans, but for some recipes they just don't work.

If you want beans that simmer all day long then you need to use dried beans. Pinto Beans have been my bean of choice for a very long time but over the last couple years, I've been leaning more towards Northern Beans.

I think it's because I love the creaminess of the Northern Beans. Plus it is such a nice change from pinto beans. When I make a big pot of beans I use my crock pot for slow cooking. I also try and use ham shanks because they release such great flavor. Ham shanks are also very meaty. 

They can be hard to find, but most times I can find them at Walmart. Usually when I see them I stock up and place a few packages in the freezer. If you cannot locate shanks then ham hocks or ham will work just as well. I also add a bit of brown sugar into my beans. Don't ask me why, it just makes them taste so good.

I have seen some folks use molasses but I prefer brown sugar. Don't worry it's not a huge amount, just enough to give them a good flavor. Well there you have it my simple version of Northern Beans and Ham. I hope you will give this recipe a try.  

Ingredients you will need: 1 -16 ounce package Dried Northern beans, ham, salt, pepper, bay leaf, 1 - packet Goya Ham Flavored Concentrate (optional), onion, water and brown sugar (not pictured). 

Start by sorting the beans for any pebbles and rinse them under cold water. Soak the beans for 3 hours in a large bowl. Drain and rinse the beans. Add the the rinsed beans, onion, salt, pepper, and ham shanks, hocks or ham (chopped into large chunks) into the crock pot.

Add enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches. (about 6 - 8 cups) Cover and cook on high for the first hour then turn the crock pot to low and cook for an additional 4 hours or until the beans are tender and a bit creamy.

Remove the ham shanks or hocks and pull off all of the meat. Return the meat to the crock pot and add the brown sugar. Sometimes I remove about a cup of the bean juice before adding the brown sugar. It's all up to you and how much water has cooked down with the beans.

Look at all that ham I got off those meaty ham shanks. Yum! Ladle into bowls and serve with a wedge of cornbread and enjoy.