Alright, let’s talk about cooking some ham and green beans in that there crock pot. I ain’t no fancy chef, mind you, just a good ol’ cook who knows how to make a tasty meal without all the fuss.
First off, you gotta get yourself a nice ham. Don’t matter too much what kind, just make sure it ain’t one of them tiny little things. You want a good-sized ham, enough to feed your whole family and maybe even have some leftovers. Now, this recipe ain’t for them dried-up beans, mind you. We’re using fresh green beans, the kind you snap with your fingers. They taste way better, trust me.
- Get your ham
- Get fresh green beans
Now, some folks say you can’t cook beans in a crock pot, but that’s just hogwash. You just gotta know what you’re doin’. You can’t just throw them dried beans in there and expect them to cook right. They need to be cooked on the stove first to get rid of all that bad stuff. But like I said, we ain’t usin’ them dried beans today. We’re usin’ fresh ones, and those are just fine in the crock pot.
So, here’s what you do. You take that ham and you plop it right in the bottom of the crock pot. Yep, just plop it right in there. Don’t worry about cuttin’ it up or nothin’, unless it’s too big to fit. Then you take your green beans, and you wash ’em real good. Get all that dirt and grit off of ’em. You don’t want to be eatin’ no dirt, now do ya?
Once them beans are all washed up, you snap off the ends. You know, them little stringy things. Ain’t nobody want to eat them. Then, you just dump them beans right on top of the ham. Just dump ’em right on in there. Don’t be shy.
Now, here’s the secret ingredient. Water. Yep, that’s right, just plain ol’ water. You don’t need no fancy broth or nothin’. Just pour a cup or two of water right over the ham and beans. Not too much, just enough to keep things from stickin’. Then, you put the lid on that crock pot and you let it cook.
How long you cook it depends on how big your ham is and how tender you like your beans. I usually cook it on low for about four hours. But you gotta keep an eye on it. Every crock pot cooks a little different. You don’t want them beans to turn to mush, and you don’t want that ham to dry out. You want it tender and juicy.
After a few hours, you take a fork and poke that ham. If it’s nice and tender, it’s done. And them beans, they should be soft but not mushy. If they ain’t quite done yet, just put the lid back on and let it cook a little longer. It ain’t rocket science, folks. Just good ol’ home cookin’.
Now, some folks like to add other stuff to their ham and beans. Onions, garlic, peppers, whatever you got. Me? I like to keep it simple. Just ham, green beans, and a little bit of salt and pepper. That’s all you need. But if you want to get fancy, go right ahead. It’s your food, you can cook it however you want.
And that’s it. That’s how you make crock pot ham and green beans. It ain’t fancy, but it’s good, hearty food. It’ll fill you up and keep you goin’ all day long. And the best part is, it’s easy. Even a fella with two left hands can make this dish. So go ahead and give it a try. You won’t be disappointed. This is how we do it, simple and good.
One more thing, if you’re usin’ a pre-cooked ham, you don’t need to cook it near as long, just a couple hours to heat it through will do ya just fine. And always make sure everything’s cooked to a safe temperature, ya hear? Don’t want nobody gettin’ sick.
Tags: [crock pot, ham, green beans, easy recipe, slow cooker, southern cooking, comfort food, dinner, simple recipe]
