Recipe: Slow cooker ham & beans

Slow Cooker Ham and Beans

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry white beans
• 2 smoked ham hocks or shanks
• 1/2-3/4 pound ham, cubed (optional)
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3 1/2 cups water (or fill empty tomato can)
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced carrot
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Hot sauce
• Salt

Directions

Cover beans with water and soak overnight in the refrigerator. Alternately, cover beans with water, bring to a boil and drain well.

Place all ingredients except salt and hot sauce in a slow cooker, with the ham hocks on the bottom. Cover and cook on high for about 6 hours or on low for about 8 hours.

When the beans are tender, use a fork to mash some of the beans against the side of the pot, just until the broth starts to look creamy.

Remove the ham bones. Pull off any ham still clinging to the bones (it should be very tender) and return the ham to the pot.

Stir and continue cooking until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Season to taste with salt and hot sauce. Ham hocks can be quite salty, so be sure to taste before adding additional salt.

Serve with garlic bread or on buttered toast.

This recipe makes a large batch and keeps well in the freezer.

Recipe from Central Market Mill Creek - Culinary Resource Center