One pot white beans & ham

I love, love my navy beans and ham crock pot recipe. It's delicious. But I almost never remember to soak the beans overnight which makes the whole thing kind of a pain in the butt. I love the crock pot beans, but I've become quite bad at planning ahead, even with a meal plan.

So, I've had to improvise a couple times. The first batch of this one pot meal was way too salty. Turns out you really don't need to add salt if you're using ham and regular chicken broth. The last batch I made was really tasty and I think Doug actually preferred the one pot meal to the crock pot meal. Works for me!

One pot white beans & ham

Ingredients

• 1 c celery, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 can white beans (I use great northern beans)
• 4 oz ham, diced
• 1-1 1/2 c chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 t rosemary
• 1/2 t parsley
• 1/4 t garlic
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1/4 t thyme

Directions

1. Saute veggies and beans with the bay leaf until onion softens.
2. Fish out the bay leaf.
3. Add the ham and saute for another 5 minutes.
4. Add the chicken broth and simmer on very low heat for 20-25 minutes.

If you want your dish to be a little soupier, simmer for less time, or add more chicken broth.

When I can remember to plan ahead and have everything chopped up already, this is a really fast dinner to make. It's a great way to use up leftover ham. If you want to make it without leftovers, you can always get a couple thick slices of ham from the deli counter instead of buying a whole ham.

Do you have a favorite one pot meal that makes your weeknight dinners a breeze? I could definitely use some more simple recipes!