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Ham and Beans

Creamy Great Northern beans simmer with cooked ham, brown sugar, and spices. See more

READY IN 10+ hrs

Ham and Beans

Read Reviews (233)

"My Mom created this recipe and I really enjoyed it as a child. As an adult, my taste changed just a bit so I modified her recipe to 'kick it up' a bit. It is fabulous even though the ingredients list is quite short! This is a must make with leftover ham and everyone agrees it's absolutely delicious." — STEPHNDON

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Cooking with Cayenne Pepper

Original recipe makes 7 servings Change Servings

1 pound dry great Northern beans
1/2 pound cooked ham, diced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley

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Directions

Rinse beans in a large pot; discard shriveled beans and any small stones. Add 8 cups of cold water. Let stand overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse beans.
Return beans to pot and add ham, onion, brown sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne and parsley and water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until beans are tender. Add more water if necessary during cooking time.

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PREP 15 mins
COOK 2 hrs
READY IN 10 hrs 15 mins

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Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Oct 13, 2007

My husband and I loved this recipe with just a few changes. After reading the reviews we cut the sugar in half, but it was still too sweet and too hot for us. So the next day we made another batch and we reduced the sugar to 1 Tbsp. and cut the cayenne in half. I also sauteed the chopped onion and chopped ham in 2 Tbsp of butter to bring out more flavor before adding it to the beans. Both times I precooked the beans after soaking overnight, then put all the ingredients together (including the tip about baking soda, used 1/4 tsp) in a crock pot with just enough boiling water to not quite cover, on high for about 2 hours before dinner. A definite keeper!

—VALERIEANN_

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jun 19, 2007

The brown sugar overpowered the dish, and was too sweet for our likings. Other than that, everything else was O.K.

—CHELS

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278 Ratings

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Jun 07, 2005

Awesome! Just like grandma used to make. I reduced the brown sugar slightly to 1/3 cup. And a pinch (maybe 1/2 tsp) of baking soda makes the beans creamy and much less gassy.

—SuperN

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Dec 29, 2003

Prepares well in the crock pot also!

—ATCRUISER

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Jul 19, 2005

This was so delicious I have been craving it ever since I finished the last triple batch I made;-) A must have in any recipe book. You can also cut back on the brown sugar and it's just as good. I used the canned great northern beans from Bush's to eliminate the need to soak beans overnight.

—FREID207

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Jan 07, 2007

My husband is a ham & bean afficionado and he really liked this recipe. I thought it was just a little too sweet for my taste and I might cut back just a little on the brown sugar next time to keep us both happy. But, I do think that adding that hint of sweetness is what makes the recipe really stand out from all the others.

—DELLADOG

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Oct 27, 2003

I found this recipe to be very good, I have been looking for ideas on how to improve plain ham and beans and came across this recipe and tried it and loved it, I will continue to make it this way from now on. I did substitue a 40 ounce jar of northern beans for the pound of dry beans, and next time I make it I might reduce the amount of brown sugar just slightly.

—PEANUT4100

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Jan 04, 2008

Add a ham bone and a couple stocks of chopped celery. MMMMMMM - good!

—Susie

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Nutrition

Calories
300 kcal
15%

Carbohydrates
42.8 g
14%

Cholesterol
18 mg
6%

Fat
6.7 g
10%

Fiber
10.7 g
43%

Protein
18.6 g
37%

Sodium
423 mg
17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Ham and Beans

Serving Size: 1/7 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 7
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 300
Calories from Fat: 60

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6.7g 10 %
Saturated Fat 2.4g 12 %
Cholesterol 18mg 6 %
Sodium 423mg 17 %
Potassium 723mg 20 %
Total Carbohydrates 42.8g 14 %
Dietary Fiber 10.7g 43 %
Protein 18.6g 37 %
** Sugars 10.5g
Vitamin A < 1 %
Vitamin C 23 %
Calcium 15 %
Iron 37 %
Thiamin 45 %
Niacin 47 %
Vitamin B6 21 %
Magnesium 29 %
Folate 86 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.