Navy Beans and Ham Like Grandma Made: 11 Old-Fashioned Bean Pot Suppers That Warm the Whole House on Cold Nights

Navy beans and ham is the kind of supper that fills the whole house with a smell you never forget. Grandma would set a pot on the back burner in the morning, drop in the leftover ham bone, and by dark the beans were creamy, smoky and ready for a crowd. Old-fashioned bean videos are pulling hundreds of thousands of views again this fall, and it is easy to see why: a bag of dry beans and one ham bone still feed a family for days. This collection starts with classic stovetop navy beans and ham, then adds slow cooker and pressure cooker versions, Kentucky soup beans, black-eyed peas, a cheesy lima casserole, and bean pots from France, Spain, Brazil and Mexico. Grab your biggest pot..

Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Navy Beans and Ham

This is the pot that started it all. Small white navy beans simmer low and slow with a meaty ham hock until they turn soft and creamy and the broth thickens on its own. Recipe sites like Allrecipes have carried versions of this humble supper for years, and the method has barely changed since grandma’s day. The secret is patience: keep it at a gentle bubble, never a hard boil, so the beans stay whole. Serve it in deep bowls with a wedge of cornbread and a little chopped sweet onion on top..

You will need: 1 pound dry navy beans, 1 meaty ham hock or ham bone, 2 cups diced leftover ham, 1 large onion (chopped), 2 cloves garlic, 1 bay leaf, 8 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth, 1 teaspoon black pepper, salt to taste.

How to make it: 1. Rinse and sort the beans, then soak overnight in plenty of cold water. 2. Drain and add to a large heavy pot with the ham hock, onion, garlic, bay leaf and liquid. 3. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer, partly covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 4. Pull out the hock, shred the meat and return it to the pot with the diced ham. 5. Mash a cup of beans against the side of the pot to thicken. 6. Season with pepper and salt, and simmer 15 minutes more. 7. Serve the navy beans and ham hot with cornbread.

Slow Cooker Navy Beans and Ham Bone

If you have a ham bone left over from a holiday dinner, this is the easiest way to turn it into another big pot of navy beans and ham. Everything goes into the crock in the morning and the slow cooker does the rest while you are at work. Carrots and celery add sweetness and color, and the bone gives the broth that deep smoky taste you cannot get from a carton. If you love this kind of cozy pot, our old-fashioned bean soup recipes are full of more ways to use up a ham bone.

You will need: 1 pound dry navy beans (soaked overnight), 1 ham bone with some meat, 2 carrots (diced), 2 ribs celery (diced), 1 onion (diced), 2 cloves garlic, 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

How to make it: 1. Drain the soaked beans and put them in a 6-quart slow cooker. 2. Add the vegetables, garlic, thyme, pepper and ham bone. 3. Pour in the broth so everything is covered. 4. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, until the beans are very tender. 5. Lift out the bone, pull off the meat, chop it and stir it back in. 6. Taste the navy beans and ham for salt and serve with buttered bread.

Pressure Cooker Navy Beans and Ham in About an Hour

Forgot to soak the beans? A pressure cooker saves supper. Unsoaked navy beans turn tender in well under an hour under pressure, and the ham flavor still soaks all the way through. This is the weeknight version of navy beans and ham that many families now swear by, and it tastes like it simmered all afternoon. Let the pressure release naturally so the beans do not split, then give the pot a good stir to make it thick and creamy. Warm biscuits on the side make it a complete meal.

You will need: 1 pound dry navy beans (rinsed, not soaked), 1 smoked ham hock, 1 1/2 cups diced ham, 1 onion (chopped), 1 carrot (diced), 2 cloves garlic, 7 cups water or broth, 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oil in the pressure cooker and soften the onion and carrot for 4 minutes. 2. Add the garlic, beans, ham hock, bay leaf and liquid. 3. Lock the lid and cook at high pressure for 35 minutes (25 minutes if the beans were soaked). 4. Let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes. 5. Remove the hock, shred the meat and stir it back in with the diced ham. 6. Simmer the navy beans and ham uncovered for 5 minutes and season.

Pinto Soup Beans, Kentucky’s Answer to Navy Beans and Ham

In the mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee, a bowl of soup beans was supper more nights than not. They are pinto beans cooked with a piece of salt pork or ham until the broth turns thick and brown, served with cornbread and a slice of raw onion. Think of them as the pinto bean cousin of navy beans and ham. Nothing fancy, just honest food that kept big families full through long winters. Many cooks still say the beans taste even better the next day, so make a big pot and plan on leftovers.

You will need: 1 pound dry pinto beans (soaked overnight), 1 smoked ham hock or 4 ounces salt pork, 1 onion (halved), 10 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, cornbread and chopped onion for serving.

How to make it: 1. Drain the beans and put them in a large pot with the ham hock and onion halves. 2. Cover with the water and bring to a boil. 3. Lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, adding hot water if needed. 4. Remove the onion and the hock, then shred the meat back into the pot. 5. Season with salt and pepper. 6. Serve in bowls with cornbread and chopped raw onion.

Southern Black-Eyed Peas With Ham Hock

Black-eyed peas cook faster than most dry beans, which made them a favorite on busy farm kitchens across the South. Simmered with a smoked ham hock, they make a rich broth that Southern cooks call potlikker, perfect for spooning over rice. Many families serve them on New Year’s Day for luck, but they are just as comforting as navy beans and ham on any cold weeknight. Add a side of collard greens and you have a true down-home plate.

You will need: 1 pound dry black-eyed peas, 1 smoked ham hock, 1 onion (diced), 1 green bell pepper (diced), 2 cloves garlic, 6 cups chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, salt, cooked white rice and green onions for serving.

How to make it: 1. Rinse the peas (soaking is optional; a 1-hour soak speeds them up). 2. Put the ham hock, onion, pepper, garlic and broth in a pot and simmer 30 minutes. 3. Add the peas and red pepper flakes. 4. Simmer gently for 45 to 60 minutes until tender but not mushy. 5. Shred the ham from the hock into the pot and season with salt. 6. Serve over rice topped with green onions.

Cheesy Ham and Lima Bean Casserole

This is the bean pot supper that even picky eaters ask for again. Buttery baby lima beans and cubes of leftover ham are baked in a creamy sauce under a crunchy crumb and cheddar topping. It is a smart way to stretch the last of a holiday ham into one more family dinner, and it can be put together a day ahead. Serve it with a crisp green salad to balance the richness.

You will need: 4 cups cooked baby lima beans (or two 16-ounce bags frozen, thawed), 2 cups diced ham, 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons flour, 2 cups milk, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons melted butter, pepper.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375°F and butter a 2-quart baking dish. 2. Melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. 3. Slowly whisk in the milk and cook until thick, then stir in 1 cup cheese, the mustard and pepper. 4. Fold in the lima beans and ham and spread in the dish. 5. Toss the breadcrumbs with melted butter and the rest of the cheese and sprinkle on top. 6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until bubbly and golden.

French Mogettes With Ham

In the Vendée region of western France, families have their own beloved white bean called the mogette. The classic way to eat them is simply: cooked slowly with garlic, onion and a bouquet of herbs, finished with a big knob of butter, and served next to a thick slice of local ham. It proves that navy beans and ham have delicious cousins far beyond the American South. Any large white bean, such as Great Northern, works perfectly at home.

You will need: 1 pound dry white beans (mogettes, Great Northern or cannellini), 1 onion studded with 2 cloves, 3 cloves garlic, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs thyme, 3 tablespoons butter, 4 thick slices cooked ham or ham steak, salt and pepper, chopped parsley.

How to make it: 1. Soak the beans overnight and drain. 2. Cover with fresh water, add the onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme, and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours. 3. Salt the beans only in the last 15 minutes. 4. Drain off most of the liquid and stir in the butter, pepper and parsley. 5. Sear the ham slices in a hot skillet for 2 minutes per side. 6. Serve the beans and ham side by side on warm plates.

Spanish Fabada Asturiana Bean Pot

Fabada is the pride of Asturias in northern Spain, a hearty pot of large, buttery white beans cooked with chorizo, blood sausage, pork belly and cured ham shoulder. The broth turns a deep orange from smoked paprika and the sausages, and the beans soak up every bit of it. Spanish grandmothers say you should never stir fabada with a spoon, only shake the pot gently so the beans stay whole. Serve it with crusty bread for dipping.

You will need: 1 pound large dry white beans (fabes or butter beans), 2 Spanish chorizo sausages, 1 morcilla (blood sausage, optional), 6 ounces pork belly, 6 ounces cured ham or ham hock, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, a pinch of saffron, salt.

How to make it: 1. Soak the beans overnight and drain. 2. Put the beans in a wide pot, cover with cold water by 1 inch and bring slowly to a boil, skimming any foam. 3. Add the chorizo, morcilla, pork belly, ham, paprika and saffron. 4. Simmer very gently, partly covered, for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, adding splashes of cold water to keep the beans just covered. 5. Shake the pot now and then instead of stirring. 6. Slice the meats and serve on top of the beans.

French Cassoulet With Sausage and Pork

Cassoulet is the famous slow-baked bean pot of southwest France, named after the clay dish, called a cassole, it bakes in. White beans cook with pork, garlicky sausage and often duck until a golden crust forms on top. Old cooks would break the crust and push it back into the beans several times so it could form again. It takes time, but it is the ultimate cold-night project, and a simplified version with ham and smoked sausage is easy for home cooks.

You will need: 1 pound dry white beans (soaked overnight), 1 pound pork shoulder (cubed), 1 pound garlic pork sausage or smoked sausage, 1 cup diced ham, 1 onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 bouquet of thyme and bay, 4 cups chicken broth, 1 cup breadcrumbs.

How to make it: 1. Simmer the soaked beans with the onion and herbs for 1 hour, then drain, keeping the liquid. 2. Brown the pork and sausage in a heavy pot, then add garlic and tomato paste. 3. Layer the beans, meats and ham in a deep baking dish. 4. Pour in the broth and enough bean liquid to just cover. 5. Top with breadcrumbs and bake at 325°F for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, pushing the crust down twice. 6. Let the last crust turn golden before serving.

Brazilian Feijoada Black Bean Pot

Feijoada is Brazil’s beloved black bean pot, slow-cooked with smoked sausage, pork and dried beef until the beans are dark, glossy and rich. It is a weekend feast in Brazil, traditionally served with white rice, sauteed collard greens, toasted cassava flour and fresh orange slices that cut the richness. A home version with smoky ham hock and sausage is a fun way to turn the usual navy beans and ham into something new.

You will need: 1 pound dry black beans (soaked overnight), 1 smoked ham hock, 1 pound smoked sausage (sliced), 8 ounces pork shoulder (cubed), 4 slices bacon (chopped), 1 onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 bay leaves, salt and pepper, cooked rice, greens and orange slices for serving.

How to make it: 1. Drain the beans and simmer with the ham hock and bay leaves in fresh water for 1 hour. 2. In a skillet, crisp the bacon, then brown the pork and sausage. 3. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft. 4. Stir the meats into the beans and simmer 1 hour more, until thick. 5. Shred the hock meat into the pot and season. 6. Serve with rice, garlicky greens and orange slices.

Mexican Frijoles Charros (Cowboy Beans)

Frijoles charros, or cowboy beans, come from the ranch kitchens of northern Mexico. Pinto beans simmer in a brothy pot with bacon, ham, chorizo, tomato, onion and a little jalapeno, so every spoonful is smoky and lightly spicy. They are served in bowls with their broth, often next to grilled meats or warm tortillas. They are a lively finish to this collection and a great way to use leftover ham after your next pot of navy beans and ham.

You will need: 1 pound dry pinto beans (soaked overnight), 4 slices bacon (chopped), 1 cup diced ham, 4 ounces Mexican chorizo, 1 onion (diced), 2 tomatoes (diced), 1 jalapeno (seeded and minced), 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, salt.

How to make it: 1. Simmer the drained beans in fresh water for 1 1/2 hours until tender, keeping them brothy. 2. In a skillet, cook the bacon and chorizo until browned. 3. Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic and cook 3 minutes. 4. Stir in the tomatoes and ham and cook 5 minutes. 5. Add everything to the beans and simmer 20 minutes. 6. Season with salt and stir in the cilantro before serving.