Made with just 4 ingredients, this delicious crockpot recipe makes for a filling and comforting meal. Great Northern beans and ham hock provide all the proteins you need, and crockpot cooking makes this meal practically hands-off.
High-protein beans like the Great Northern beans are a sure bet for a versatile, filling and comforting meal. These beans are delicious by themselves or can be added to various other dishes like soups.
Crockpot cooked beans are always great, and this crockpot cooked Great Northern beans is no exception. Great Northern beans are larger than navy beans but smaller than cannellini beans. They have a flattened shape and pack a delicate nutty flavor which makes them a versatile proteinous addition to any meal, or just a great meal to enjoy plain.
Typically, this crockpot recipe is made by cooking dry great northern beans with an assortment of vegetables including celery, bay leaf, garlic, onions and parsley. You could also include meaty proteins like ham shanks or ham hock. However, that recipe is versatile and can be varied in many different ways.
In this variation, we will be using only four ingredients – beans, meaty proteins, onions and then we’ll add brown sugar and cook all on a slow cooker. Because it cooks on a slow cooker, the beans get to absorb the meaty flavor to yield a delightfully delicious meal that you can pair with grilled meats or serve as a flavorful ingredient for salads, dips, soups or stews. Also, because we’re using a slow cooker, you don’t have to soak the beans all night long. They cook for about 5 hours, so adding the dried beans directly, or even using frozen beans still yields soft mashable beans.
The 4 ingredient crockpot great northern beans recipe is an economical take o a versatile recipe. Yet, it is delightful as ever and is a perfect dinner meal o any day of the week or something to make when you want to host a few people at home.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 hours
Total: 5 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
16 oz package dried northern beans
1½ lbs ham shank, chopped in big chunks
1 small onion-diced water, enough to cover beans
⅓ cup light brown sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Step 1:
Sort the beans for any pebbles and then rinse under running water
Step 2:
Add the
Add the rinsed beans, chopped ham shank, salt and pepper into the crockpot. Add the onion-diced water to cover the content of the crockpot.
Step 3:
Cover the crockpot and then cook on high setting for 2 hours, then turn to low setting and cotinue cooking for another 3 hours or till the beans becomes tender
Step 4:
Take out the ham shanks and skin all of the meat from the bones,
Step 5:
Return the meat only to the crockpot then add the brown sugar and combine gently till the brown sugar mixes well.
Step 6:
Serve and enjoy.
Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days. Reheat them at medium power in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat on the stove. You can also enjoy them cold in a salad or dip.