A slow cooker is the perfect way to cook beans. The low and slow method makes for tender, creamy beans, and chunks of ham give them a great smoky flavor. No need to soak them in advance.

A hearty, comforting meal for a chilly day. (Stacey Little / Southern Bite)

Slow Cooker Ham and Beans

Click here for the original recipe.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 8 hours

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried Great Northern beans
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 2 cups diced ham
• 8 cups water*
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• Salt (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1 packet ham-flavored concentrate (about 1 teaspoon)

Instructions

• Lightly spray the crock of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
• Set the temperature to low.
• Rinse and sort the dried beans to eliminate any bad beans or foreign debris.
• Add the celery, carrot, onion and ham to the slow cooker.
• Pour the beans on top.
• Add the water.
• Add the pepper.
• Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10. (See above about cook time.)
• Once tender to your liking, add the ham seasoning packet and salt to taste. For us, it’s about 1 teaspoon of salt.
• For a creamy broth, stir vigorously, pressing some of the beans against the side of the crock to mash them up.
• Stir to combine.

Notes

*In our tests, soaking the beans overnight made no real difference in cook time, tenderness or other important factors, so we do not soak them. However, if you choose to soak your beans, you’ll need about 2 cups less water when cooking them.

This recipe originally appeared on SouthernBite.com. For more great recipes, visit the website or check out ”The Southern Bite Cookbook.”