Ham and Beans

My husband and I loved this recipe with just a few changes. After reading the reviews we cut the sugar in half, but it was still too sweet and too hot for us. So the next day we made another batch and we reduced the sugar to 1 Tbsp. and cut the cayenne in half. I also sauteed the chopped onion and chopped ham in 2 Tbsp of butter to bring out more flavor before adding it to the beans. Both times I precooked the beans after soaking overnight, then put all the ingredients together (including the tip about baking soda, used 1/4 tsp) in a crock pot with just enough boiling water to not quite cover, on high for about 2 hours before dinner. A definite keeper!

Prepares well in the crock pot also!

I blindly followed the recipe, it being rated 4.5/5 with 200 reviews, which usually means you really can blindly follow the recipe and come out shiny. WAY too sweet, I should have read the reviews first. It's better than the 1 star I'm giving it, but I'm trying (fruitlessly) to make up for you other reviewers who give it 5 stars while changing it completely. STOP IT!

This was so delicious I have been craving it ever since I finished the last triple batch I made;-) A must have in any recipe book. You can also cut back on the brown sugar and it's just as good. I used the canned great northern beans from Bush's to eliminate the need to soak beans overnight.

My husband is a ham & bean afficionado and he really liked this recipe. I thought it was just a little too sweet for my taste and I might cut back just a little on the brown sugar next time to keep us both happy. But, I do think that adding that hint of sweetness is what makes the recipe really stand out from all the others.

I gave this 5 stars because it is a great basic recipe that can be adapted to different tastes and desires. It makes a great soup that has a wonderfully subtle sweet flavor and is extremely filling. My husband was not excited when I told him that we were having beans for dinner, but he was pleasantly surprised and even the my son who declared that he did not like beans and ham ate his entire bowl!!! I made this dish into a version of bean and ham soup. To get around the long soaking period, place the beans into a large pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, turn the heat off and then leave the beans to soak for an hour. After the hour soak, proceed wiht your recipe as usual. To make my version of this recipe, I used frozen ham from our Christmas ham and then filled the pot up to the top with water. After bringing the pot to a boil, I simmered the pot with a lid on to reduce the water loss. I used 1/3 cup brown sugar along with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. While the pot simmered, I chopped a small onion and one pound of carrots. I sauted the carrots and onion in butter until soft and slightly browned. After simmering the beans for approximately 2 hours, I removed about one cup of beans, smashed them, returned them to the pot and added the sauted veggies. I then let the pot simmer for about another 10 minutes while I cut crusty bread into slices. WHAT A WONDERFUL MEAL!!!

Add a ham bone and a couple stocks of chopped celery. MMMMMMM - good!

I found this recipe to be very good, I have been looking for ideas on how to improve plain ham and beans and came across this recipe and tried it and loved it, I will continue to make it this way from now on. I did substitue a 40 ounce jar of northern beans for the pound of dry beans, and next time I make it I might reduce the amount of brown sugar just slightly.

This dish turned out really great. My whole family liked it, especially my husband. I made it in the crockpot, and it took about 5 minutes to throw everything together, then I just let it cook on low all day. I served it over white rice with fresh bread from the bread machine. I will definitely make this recipe again!

The brown sugar overpowered the dish, and was too sweet for our likings. Other than that, everything else was O.K.

I used a little more cayenne, and some Italian Seasoning. Put everything together in the crock pot this morning, and tonight it's great! Thanks very much, Stephanie, for a great idea on a winter night! :)

If you don't have time to soak the beans overnight (or forget), you can bring the beans and water to a rapid boil then cover and let rest for about an hour. It helps to add a little bit of EVOO or bacon grease (:?) and a pinch of sugar. Just as good as soaking overnight. I also use Hot Sauce (Texas Pete) in place of the cayenne. Oh, and you don't need the brown sugar...at least not all of it.

Our family loved this recipe. Our family enjoyed it very much. I detest all the reviews where people go on and on as to how they changed the recipe to make it 5 stars. Ladies, if you don't like the sound of a recipe and change it to YOUR recipe, you have no business reviewing it!

This is not country ham and beans, more like pork and beans from a can.

These beans were fantastic!! I used 1/4 cup brown sugar, added 3 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves, a 1/3 stick of kombu (sea vegetable, adds delicious flavor and softens beans take out with the bay leaves before eating) and used a pound of pit ham. Also added the onion while cooking. Served with spoon bread. Magnifico for a cold winter night!! Thanks for sharing.

WOW!! This was excellent!!! I didn't change a thing except for the cooking method; I dumped it all in a crockpot & cooked on high all day........YUMMY!!!

Gave this recipe four stars on my husband's say-so. I thought it was very good, but I'm not much on beans so I bowed to his greater bean-eating experience. I decreased the sugar to 1/4 cup and put a bit more ham than called for. I also boiled the meat off ham shanks and used the broth, with fat skimmed, as part of the cooking liquid. I simmered it all day like I remembered my mom doing. I can't imagine eating it after just a couple hours. This recipe is a keeper. I may end up eating beans more than once in a blue moon with this one!

Great and easy in crock pot. First time for me to make ham and beans and the brown sugar & cayenne caught my eye. Will make again!

Absolutely LOVED this recipe! I even had people tell me it was better than their mothers and now they have their mother use this recipe.

My husband thought this was the best ham and beans that he had ever tried (well, except for his dearly departed mom's). After reading all the reviews about the brown sugar, I cut the brown sugar to 1/4 cup and added 1/2 tsp of baking soda (as someone else recommended).

LOVED IT! I cut the sugar to 1/4cup because I am not a huge fan of sweet. And with the amount of cayenne, I thought the heat was only slightly detectable. I threw everything in my crockpot on low for 8 hours and it came out PERFECT. I will definitely make this again!

Excellent recipe! I love the sweet flavor, but I like to balance the sweet with some tangy by adding catsup. Otherwise, it's perfect the way it is!

Me teenager wasn't too sure about this dish, but he tasted it and went nuts. This was supposed to be for dinner the next night but he didn't leave enough.

EXCELLENT!! Simple and taste like grandma's always did. Fried potatoes and cornbread makes a perfect meal! Thanks for sharing!

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this! Substituted canned white kidneys (rinsed and drained) for the dry and only used 1 TBSP of brown sugar...it was still plenty sweet. Only needed to cook for about 45 minutes.

Expected this to come out a bit on the boring side, but my husband and I were both pleasantly surprised with the end results! I modified it using canned beans. I cut the sugar in half as recommended in many other reviews and I think it was just right; the full amount of sugar would have been far too sweet. Also used red onion and added celery and garlic. After sauteing the veggies I simmered the entire dish in some corned beef stock I had frozen after St Patty's dinner until reduced to my liking. This was a wonderful blend of sweet, salty and heat from the cayenne. Thanks so much for this keeper!

I wouldn't change anything about this recipe! This was very delicious!

It ain't pretty - but it is good! My chef friend would call it a humble dish. I did this in my crockpot and with a hamhock - on low for about 12 hours. I added a bit of paprika and some cornstarch at the end. I like the sweet spicy comination. I am not a spicy person, but I think, if anything I would add a little more heat. I will make this again!

I've never made ham and beans, so I was very happy when this surpassed my grandmother's flavor! I made it exactly as directed, except I doubled the recipe when I realized I had a 2-pound bag of beans. I wouldn't change a thing about it! The cayenne pepper balanced out the brown sugar, and I didn't think it was too sweet at all. I served it with cornbread. I will make this again and again. Perfect!

Really good. I did cut down on the brown sugar and added more ham. Very good - not the best beans & ham I ever had, but still very, very delicious. Gonna make again. ***UPDATE*** I have made this multiple times. The last time, with pinto beans, which I thought were even better. I make a smaller batch - 2 cups of dry beans, 2 Tbs brown sugar, about 1/4-1/2 Tbs red pepper flakes, dry onion flakes, PLENTY of salt and peppr, and dice up ham and add baking soda. I do brown my ham in the pan before adding the beans. This is a good recipe for those who prefer beans not made with grease as flavoring.

this is VERY good and very easy to make...I did make a few modifications, however (like many)...I used only about 2 Tbsp of brown sugar which was plenty for our tastes, used chicken broth instead of water, and used canned beans which saved a lot of time. Everyone in my family loved it.

Excellent...provided the brown sugar is cut in half or less ! As the majority of reviewers of this recipe have stated...1/2 cup brown sugar is just too much (unless major sweetness is what you seek) - I cut the brown sugar to a scant 1/4 cup...and honestly could have gone less. Thank you fellow reviewers...for if I had not read your reviews, I would have ruined a perfectly good leftover Christmas ham !!

I've never made ham and beans, so I was very happy when this surpassed my grandmother's flavor! I made it exactly as directed, except I doubled the recipe when I realized I had a 2-pound bag of beans. I wouldn't change a thing about it! The cayenne pepper balanced out the brown sugar, and I didn't think it was too sweet at all. I served it with cornbread. I will make this again and again. Perfect!

Very good recipe. Mine were a little watery so I took out 2 cups of beans, blended them in a food processor to make a paste, and added them back in to thicken it up.

We love this recipe so much I don't measure anymore and just cook to taste! The only thing we do differently is to saute the onions and ham in butter, then add the brown sugar & spices. Next we add a bit of chicken broth & the beans with liquid. Oh, & we use canned beans when we need to hurry & it still tastes great!

Good filling recipe. Cooked in crockpot and it came out great. Easy and inexpensive dish to make. Even the kids liked it.

My family always enjoys this bean recipe. The only (minor) gripe I have about it is that with the prescribed brown sugar, I think it's a bit on the sweet side. I usually put slightly less. Overall, great recipe.

I love this recipe. It's one of my favorite comfort foods. I make it exactly as instructed except for adding a couple of diced carrots -- just for color. :-)

Tastes wierd due to italian seaoning...

This was sooooo good!! I used leftover honeybaked ham from Christmas. Since the ham itself was so sweet, I only added 1 tbsp of brown sugar and since I don't like beans hot, I reduced the cayenne pepper by half. Will make again!

First you must know my children are VERY picky on the food they eat. This recipe is totally awesome. One bite and both children wanted more. I followed the directions exactly and there were no left overs. I will double the recipe next time so there are left overs.

I give this a FULL 5 stars and here's why: I'm not much of a cook but made this last nite (EZ) and my girlfriend who once when younger had to live on ham and bean soup for a couple of months straight said it was the very best she ever had. My modifications were: went a little higher on brown sugar and the ham was a Brand Name Honey Ham leftover that was approx twice the amount called for. Keep the cayenne pepper at the reccommended amounts!

My family loved this recipe. I didn't want to mess with soaking the beans over night, so I bought a large jar of northern beans instead. I added 1/4 cup water to the beans when putting them in the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients. It turned out fantastic. Wonderful flavor!

These beans were delightful. Next time I MAY use less brown sugar as my husband does not like the sweet taste as much as I do. Easy and Yummy.

wow! so glad I found this recipe for my Memorial Day cookout. I at first just started cooking the beans with a hammock but thought there had to be a better way to make them taste good. Never thought to put brown sugar when making beans before. They were so good and a huge hit!

I used an inexpensive ham steak for this recipe - it turned out delicious! I added a few "shakes" of Tabasco and my husband couldn't stop commenting on how great the sweet and spicy flavor was. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!

I really loved this dish. From looking at the recipe you would think it was simple and bland, but it actually came out very flavorful! We will definitely be having this one again.

This is a really good base recipe! I'm not sure what people were talking about with it being too sweet/too spicy, but then again we all have different tastes. This tastes like what my Mom always makes out of the jar (only about 20 times better), and was SUPER cheap to make, especially considering I'm a poor just graduated college student who really can't afford too much. Only problem I had and isn't the recipes fault is that the dry beans I had were a bit old so the 8 hour soak + cooking them for -3- hours still left them a bit stale, but again, not the recipes fault. I know I personally added a bit more cayenne and some beef boullion to enhance the flavor a little bit, but again, this recipe is good for alterations for your tastes!

I made this for my husband and myself. My husband couldn't eat it at all. I was able to eat it but didn't find it to be as good as I have had before. I think it might have been the brown sugar and I only put in 1/4 cup. Next time I won't put in any brown sugar.

I was looking for the ham HOCK & bean recipe that gramma used to make. Tried this in the crockpot, except just threw the Hocks in and let them cook all day with the beans. Cut the meat off the hocks at the end...........MMMMMM!! This was a great improvement over just beans, onion & hocks! THANKS!

It was perfect! I think adding the whole 1/4 cup of brown sugar is completely just the right amount. Also used 1 tbsp of cayenne to give it more of a kick. Used a crock pot on low for about 8 hours - will be used many times! Thanks!

I didn't really care for this recipe. I soaked the beans exactly as it said, but they never really got large or soft (I cooked this in the crock pot all day). Plus it was too sweet for my taste.

Update! I still make this using all the ingredients, but I just wanted to say this meal has become as traditional as the ham holidays! A few days after Easter or Christmas, everyone always comes back over for ham & beans because of this recipe! Everyone loves it. I pair it with jalapeno cornbread. I use all the ingredients but I use the leftover ham bone from the Christmas ham with meat still attached to it. Then I just throw everything in a crockpot and cook it on low 8-10 hours. It is amazing. The sugar & cayenne pepper really make this recipe special.

Delicious, but with some adjustments. Instead of the beans I used 2 cans navy beans undrained and 2 cans black eyed peas undrained. Instead of the cayenne pepper I used one whole cayenne with the seeds included. I just chopped it up with the onion in the food processor. Used a ham bone from a spiral ham and added enough water to cover all. Let it simmer til the ham fell off the bone. We loved it!

Very Good! I like the change of pace with the added sweetness of the brown sugar. I did cut the brown sugar to 1/4 cup but otherwise kept to the recipe. Excellent when served over rice and with cornbread as a side.

my fiance is a corn fed country guy with a son that is just like him. very picky.. they loved this.. they were like my grandma doesnt do this, or doesnt make it like this. I'm not sure if its going to tast right. FOOLED them!!

I used way less brown sugar (about 1/4th cup) because we weren't looking for southern-style baked beans. I did add a few carrots (julienned) for colour for an added nutritional boost. Also used Tony's Cajun and Creole Seasoning...it was awesome!!

Delicious !

This was good. I did not put in all the sugar, just about 1 Tbsp and that seemed about right. I didn't put in the full amount of cayenne, but it was still too spicy for me, though not my husband. Next time will just allow everyone to add their own spice to it.

I used pinto beans instead, added chili sauce, italian seasoning, and 2 bay leaves. I halved the sugar. It was very tasty over rice.

These are the Best ham and beans Ive had so far. I added some sour cream to my bowl and it was heavenly!!!! Unbelievably yummy!!!!

Too sweet!!! I love ham and beans and I was disappointed how this turned out. I think it was great start of the recipe I would add only at the most 1/4 cup.

omg this is a great recipe I added a ham hock to it also and I didn't like ham and beans before but this has changed my mind thanks for sharing

WAY TO MUCH SUGAR. I forgot to reread the reviews before I made this and didn't cut the sugar down. I'll make this again but just like one other person suggested I'll probably cut it down to a table spoon and add after it is done cooking if I think it needs more. Kinda mad because I made double to have left overs and not only was I able to eat it for left overs I ruined the only ham hock I had from our pig this year.

This is by far the BEST Ham and Bean recipe I have ever used. The flavors were wonderful!

Just made this tonight and it was delicious! My mom was supposed to make her ham and beans for dinner tonight but she was sick so we stayed home...but I was still craving it! I did the quick soak method for the beans (rinse, boil for 2 mins, cover and take off heat. Let sit for 1 hour, rinse and begin normal recipe). It turned out wonderfully. I did the 1T brown sugar and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne plus 1/2t of baking soda. My husband and I practically inhaled it!

Added less brown sugar (1/4 cup) and it was plenty sweet.

We did not like this recipe, it was too sweet for us. We will try it again without the brown sugar and see how it turns out. Thanks for sharing!

I followed some of the other posters suggestions, my family loved it. Cut the sugar in half, 1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper and added 1/4 tsp. Baking soda. Thanks for sharing StephNDon

I thought this was a great version of Ham and Beans. The last hour of cooking the beans I added the onion and ham with them. I think it gave it great flavor. The cream of Mushroom soup and Cheese made it sooooo good! YUMMY!!

Very good and easy soup. Better the next day. I only cut the brown sugar in half and used probably twice as much ham. Otherwise I followed the recipe. Thanks for the post!

The recipe caught my eye because it called for brown sugar. I grew up in Southern MO and it all my years of making ham and beans I have never used that ingredient. It was a fantastic addition and added just a undertone of sweetness to the dish.

I forgot to read the reviews before I starting making this. Wished I had, because it is too sweet. One tbsp. would be enough. Used only 1/8 tsp. cayenne and it was plenty spicy. The flavor is similar to baked beans with all that brown sugar. I will keep searching for a creamy white bean side dish.

used only 1/4 c brown sugar and cooked in slow cooker for 5 hours...also browned ham and onions together before adding and just a dash of cayenne pepper

I used canned northern beans and decreased the amount of brown sugar. I added extra ham because this was a main dish. I served it with corn muffins and my family enjoyed.

I love this recipe just the way it is.

I took the advice of several other reviewers and reduced the brown sugar by half. I also pan fried the ham with onions for a few minutes before adding it to the beans. My family loved it.

This recipe was so EASY to make!! The only thing I did differently was I added more onion and made this in my crockpot. It came out awesome!! Tasty!! My picky 3 yrs old even ate this. YES it is a little sweet but we didnt find it to be overly sweet and in fact liked that it was different. My Gramdma asked me for the recipe !! Thanks for a great recipe!! :) :) :)

After 8 hours of soaking and 2 hours of simmering, the beans were still not quite done to my liking. That said, my husband nearly ate the entire pot, agreeing the entire time that the beans were not quite done. But great flavor, he kept saying. And it was. Thanks for the recipe - I'll make this again for sure!

Instead of using water I use chicken stock. I also soak the beans overnight in half water and half chicken stock. It gives the beans more flavor! I also use a couple bay leaves to had some more flavor.

TOTALLY disappointed!! It was brown, mushy and tasteless. Really visually unapealling. I cooked it less than the suggested time and the beans were dissolved. Reduced the sugar to 1 TBS & it was still too sweet & cut the pepper to a dash which could account for the lack of taste but; not making chili.

Awesome!

Absolutely love this recipe, but like others cut down the brown sugar and increased the cayenne and added tomatoes. It is really a great recipe and I highly recommend it.

Used to eat this all the time when i was younger, its a really cheap meal to prepare and its great. I was shocked to find out my husband had never had beans prepared this way, so i fixed it for him and my whole family gobbled it up. even my picky kids. Great with cornbread. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

We enjoyed this recipe. It is simple to put together with everyday ingredients. I used a whole pound of ham since I made this as the main dish. Also cut back and used only 1/4 cup brown sugar. Served with a side of chopped spinach. Reheated the leftovers with the spinach mixed in and that was a nice combination of flavors and textures.

Too sweet as written.... I made it a second time cutting the sugar in half and added a clove of garlic and some diced carrots & celery, 1/2 cup each and added a pinch of baking soda to make the texture more creamy and liked it better the second time. Thank you.

What a great flavor. This recipe was a hit!

Thanks much! I love the brown sugar, nice touch. I only added a qtr cup but I love it! My wife made me add some potatoes and celery. Tastes great!

This was the best ham and beans recipe I have ever made! I took the lazy route and used 5 cans of Bush's Northern Beans instead of soaking beans overnight... I used 1/4 cup of brown sugar as suggested by others and added a bit more ham than suggested, but followed recipe otherwise. I let the ingredients simmer for an hour... Yum!

I make this dish once or twice a month I love it so much. It's a three day process for me...day one: soak the beans overnight, then cook the mixture all day no day two, day three: eat! I like to make soups and stews a day before I am going to eat them for the fullest flavor.

I was disappointed w/ this--had high expectations based on reviews & comments. Sorry!

Good basic recipe. I personally did not like the level of sweetness, I cut the sugar in half and it was still a little sweet for me. Great for Christmas leftovers.

Excellent soup...I added more cayenne and cut the sugar down a bit but very very good with those changes!!

Used canned beans to shorten cooking time. Delicious just the same. Next time I will put the cooked ham in just a few minutes before serving so as not to make it tough.

My family really enjoyed this dish. I used a leftover ham bone with plenty of meat on it, used only 1/4 cup or less of brown sugar, added 1/4 tsp of baking soda and did use about 1/2 tsp cayenne. I also added 2 carrots, one onion and two celery ribs. Came out very nice - great flavor and the carrots, celery and ham chunks gave it some color

Way better the 2nd day. I made this recipe as given using 1 tsp salt, and served it with cornbread. I used hickory smoked, sweet glazed ham, and I do think the type of ham you use affects the outcome. The 1st meal was OK, but seemed bland. It was so much better the 2nd time that I thought my taste buds must have been off for the first meal. My husband confirmed the leftovers were far tastier. So, if you can, put the cooked meal in the fridge at least overnight so the flavors can meld to create a truly superb dish.

This was delicious! I cut down on the sugar (by half) as recommended by other reviewers and thought it was perfect. The spice was nice - it was a little strong to eat plain but over rice my family really enjoyed it. Might want to back off the cayenne pepper a little bit if you have mild mouths in the house, but I don't like things TOO spicy and I thought it was great. The ham blended so nicely with the beans. I used pintos because it's all I had and they were great. Yum!

The cayenne! That gives this bean pot a real life! I used a ham hock I had in the freezer. I swear I see tomatoes in the photo, so I chopped two romas and added them last, just heating them through. This recipe is closer to my Mom's beans than I've ever been able to duplicate. Thanks! :)

like the other reviewers, I also cut the sugar to 1/4 cup. i used almost 1.5 lb of the ham.