Ham Soup Beans and Cornbread

This article originally published in the Galion Inquirer on  September 27, 2011.

Cold and rainy weather here this last week prompted me to pull out the crock pot and cook up some warm foods. We had a couple mornings this last week that were completely gray and drizzly. The kind of day that makes a person want to stay in bed. Since most of us don’t have that option, crock pot meals are one way to look forward to the end of the day.

My crock pots get a lot of use, since our region has more than its share of dreary weather days. This recipe is relatively small as my crock pot recipes go, however, it’s easy enough to double or quadruple it as needed. This recipe serves four under normal circumstances. I’d say it serves only two hard working, cold to the bone people.

Ham Soup Beans

1 can white navy beans

1 can large white butter beans

1 ham steak, bone in slice

1 chicken bullion cube

1/2 teaspoon thyme (can substitute your favorite green herb)

1 package corn bread mix

Place beans in crock pot. Add bullion cube and spices. Slice ham into quarters and add to crock pot. Heat on low for 4 hours. Prepare cornbread according to package directions. Serve a bowl of ham soup beans along side or on top of a slice of warm cornbread.

This is the convenience cooking method of making this recipe. If you wanted to go the old fashioned and traditional manner, you could use dried beans and soak them overnight, simmer all day with a ham bone and spices. You could mix up some cornbread from scratch. You would feel good for preparing a meal the way your grandmother did. My grandmother was all about using the short cuts modern technology brought to the kitchen. She would have used the canned beans and package of cornbread mix.

Remember, that’s a large part of what this site is about, cooking for the rest of us who have busy lives and not enough time to spend all day slaving over the stove. OK, it’s also for those of us who are looking for a quick solution to feeding our families that doesn’t involve a drive thru window!

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