Crock Pot Ham and Beans with Quick Corn Bread

Crock pot recipes are all the rage right now. And why not? We're all way too busy to be slaving over the stove every evening. And now that fall's chilly weather upon us, crock pot meals are comfort food at its best. And an added bonus? Recipes like these are super inexpensive!

Crock Pot Ham and Beans
Source: Adapted from Food.com

1 lb. dried great northern beans
3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, chopped coarsely
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1½ tsp. dried parsley
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2-3 ham hocks
6 cups water

Sort beans and soak in enough water to cover overnight. (Quick soak method: Sort the beans and place them in a saucepan with 2-inches of water to cover. Bring pan to a boil, boil for 3 minutes, then cover and remove from heat. Allow to sit for one hour after boiling -- don't lift the lid.) Once beans are soaked, rinse, drain and then place them in the crock pot.

Add remaining ingredients to the crock and stir together. Place lid on crock, and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until beans are tender and creamy. Remove ham hocks from beans and allow to slightly cool. Remove ham from the bones and add meat back to the beans. Adjust seasonings to taste. Skim any excess fat, if necessary, before serving over corn bread.

Freezer Instructions: Place cooled-down mixture in a freezer-safe package. Freeze. When ready to use, thaw mixture in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat in a pan on the stove. (If you don't have the time to allow the mixture to thaw completely, you can still go ahead and reheat from frozen, however the beans will likely break down. They'll still taste good, just be a little mushy!)

Quick Start with MSPI Mama: This is one of my Quick Start recipes.

Quick Corn Bread

Source: Adapted from Kroger Corn Meal package

¾ cup corn meal

1 ¼ cups flour

¼ cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 cup rice milk

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8- or 9-inch round pan. Blend all dry ingredients. Stir in remaining ingredients until dry ingredients are moist. Pour batter into greased pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.