This recipe is sponsored by Hurst’s HamBeens though all opinions are mine alone.
This recipe for the best Slow Cooker Ham and Beans is creamy and delicious. Great for leftover ham, just add veggies broth and seasonings.
Bean soups are one of the best things to make in the crockpot, when we have leftover ham we make ham and beans, 15 bean soup or black-eyed peas.
Are you a Ham and Bean soup fan? My family sure is. There is a little diner we go to that has Ham and Beans on the menu daily and I have to get it every time we go. You won’t believe how easy it is to make restaurant-quality ham and beans at home easily by throwing everything in your slow cooker and WITHOUT soaking the beans.
I use Hurst’s HamBeens Great Northern Beans with Ham Flavor. These beans are great quality, you can see that in my video below. The beans cook up big and tender.
This package of Great Northern Beans and many other bean mixes from Hurst’s Hambeens come with a ham flavor packet. It’s a little powdery mix that tastes like smokey ham.
One thing I have not mentioned yet on the blog about this little flavor packet is that it is vegetarian, so if you are not wanting real ham in your soups but want the flavor, you can get it! You can find where to buy these bean mixes here. I have found the most variety at Walmart in my area.
How to make Slow Cooker Ham and Beans:
You will need these ingredients:
- 1 bag Hurst’s Hambeen’s Great Northern Beans with Ham Flavor
- Diced Ham
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Dried thyme
- Chicken broth
- Pepper
- Salt to taste
Directions:
- Sort through the beans and discard any debris. Place the beans in a colander and rinse in cold water. Add the beans to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add the diced ham, carrots, onion, celery, dried thyme and pepper with the beans in the slow cooker. Pour over the chicken broth. Wait to add the ham flavor packet.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 6-7 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- After the cooking time is up add the ham flavor packet, stir. Add salt if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Do I need to soak the beans?
No! this recipe works great without soaking. Be sure to cook on HIGH, and keep the lid on the entire time.
Can I use a ham hock?
- Yes! You can use 1-2 ham hocks or shanks instead of diced ham.
- Remove the ham hock after cooked and remove any meat, add to the slow cooker.
- Degrease the soup by laying a paper towel over it and removing.
Can I use chicken bouillon cubes instead of chicken broth?
- Yes! I use 4-5 chicken bouillon cubes when I forget to buy chicken broth.
- Just unwrap and throw them in with water (8 cups), they will dissolve and dissipate in the soup.
How can I make this into a freezer meal?
- Place raw veggies, diced ham, dried thyme and pepper into a ziplock bag. Don’t add the beans or chicken broth, leave those in your pantry until you are ready to use your frozen meal.
- Freeze the veggies, ham and seasonings for up to a month.
- When ready to cook, add the contents of the freezer bag, beans, and pour in 8 cups of chicken broth into the slow cooker. Wait to add the ham packet.
- Cook as the normal recipe states, add ham flavor packet at end of cooking time.
More dried bean recipes here on The Magical Slow Cooker:
- Slow Cooker Cajun 15 bean Soup with Leftover Turkey
- Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup with Ham
- Slow Cooker 15 Bean Buffalo Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Bacon
Christmas is just around the corner and I know a lot of us will have leftover ham and this recipe is perfect for that. Be sure to save this recipe for later and enjoy a big pot of Ham and Bean Soup with your family. If you love this recipe you can find more like it over at Hurst’s HamBeens.
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Slow Cooker Ham and Beans
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker- 6 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 20 oz. pkg. Hurst’s Hambeens Great Northern Beans with Ham flavoring (save the ham flavor packet for the end of the cooking time)
- 2 cups diced ham leftover ham works great
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 8 cups chicken broth
- salt to taste
Instructions:
- Place the beans in a colander and sort out any debris, rinse beans in cold water and add to the slow cooker.
- Add the ham, onion, carrots, celery, thyme, pepper and chicken broth, stir. Wait to add the ham flavor packet.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 6-7 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- When the cooking time is done, add the ham flavor packet and stir. Add salt to taste. Serve and enjoy!
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
- Yes! Use 1-2 ham hocks or shanks instead of diced ham.
- Shred the meat at the end of the cooking time, add to the soup.
- Degrease the soup by laying a paper towel over the soup and lifting quickly.
- Yes! Use 4-5 chicken bouillon cubes instead of chicken broth (and 8 cups of water).
- Unwrap and throw in, they will dissolve and dissipate on their own.
- Place raw veggies, diced ham, dried thyme and pepper into a ziplock bag. Don’t add the beans or chicken broth, leave those in your pantry until ready to use. Freeze the veggies, ham and seasonings for up to a month.
- When ready to cook, add the contents of the freezer bag, beans, and pour in 8 cups of chicken broth into the slow cooker. Wait to add the ham packet.
- Cook as the normal recipe states, add ham flavor packet at end of cooking time.
Nutrition:
This recipe is sponsored by Hurst’s HamBeens though all opinions are mine alone.
Super easy and so delicious!!
It turned out awesome! I added paprika, garlic powder, and basil as well. My crockpot has a 10hr and warm setting so I cooked it for 10 hrs. I added a some water since the liquid was half gone after 10 hrs and let it warm until dinner time. It came out creamy and perfect. The best ham and beans I’ve made so far.
I’m making this now and questioning using the Ham packet flavor. Did you use the flavor in yours?
I made it this weekend! The best flavor, but I couldn’t get the beans soft enough, I soaked them for 12 hours and cooked them in the slow cooker , twice on high for 8 hrs each time! I had to go through scoop by scoop and pick out the beans, will probably add rice
Your beans may have been old. I’m so sorry this happened.
I made this today and it’s runny not creamy. Any idea what I did wrong?
You may need to cook longer. Another tip with the slow cooker if you want creamy beans is to mash a small portion of them. The slow cooker doesn’t boil and bang the beans together, which would make it creamy.
What is the water to bean ratio?
Looks like a half cup of water (broth) per ounce of beans.
This was a wonderful recipe my whole family enjoyed. There are no leftovers. I followed the recipe minus that ham flavor packet at the end because I remember it as a teenager having a bad flavor and smell. Who knows if it is the same as twenty years ago but I wasn’t chancing it. We will be having this again very soon.
The ham flavored packed completely ruined this soup! Made it smell like battery acid. Kids would not go near it because of the smell.
Get some real diced ham if you don’t have any left over from Christmas dinner as in a ham hock . I have leftover ham and I’m getting ready to cook my beans and ham for tomorrow . Can’t wait . Corn bread a d fried potatoes to top it off . Good eating .