Great Northern Beans Recipe
If you’re craving a hearty, comforting meal, this Great Northern Beans Recipe delivers every time. Slow-simmered with smoky pork chops or ham and simple seasonings, these beans are a rich, flavorful dish that’s perfect for family dinners, Sunday suppers, or cozy weeknights.
This classic recipe with Great Northern beans pairs beautifully with my southern cornbread recipe, easy fried potatoes and onions, or crock pot collard greens. If you love old-fashioned comfort food like southern beans, this easy bean recipe is sure to be a hit.
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💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses pantry staples you probably already have on hand.
- Creamy Texture: Long simmering creates a thick and creamy texture.
- Budget Friendly: This is definitely a budget-friendly meal. Dried beans can feed a crowd without breaking the bank.
- Comfort Food: Serve this dish with a slice of cornbread for the ultimate comfort food dish.
🛒 Ingredients Needed
This recipe only calls for two main ingredients.
- Great Northern Beans: A two-pound bag of beans is the star of this recipe. They create a creamy and hearty base. Feel free to use a one-pound bag if so desired.
- Smoked Ham or Smoked Pork Chops: Adds salty, smoky flavor throughout the beans.
- Salt and Pepper: The only seasonings I use, but use your favorites.
- Water: This forms the creamy broth. Make sure the beans are covered during cooking.
🔪 How to Cook Great Northern Beans
Step 1: Clean the Beans. Wash the beans and pick out any foreign matter or damaged beans. Rinse well and set aside.
Step 2: Quick Soak the Beans. For every 1 pound of beans, soak in 2 quarts of water. Add beans and water to a large pot. Bring to a full rolling boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let it soak for 1 hour. After soaking, remove and discard any remaining water, rinse, and reexamine the beans for any bad beans.
Step 3: Start Cooking. Add the soaked beans back to a large pot or Dutch oven.
Step 4: Add Remaining Ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a rolling boil.
Step 5: Simmer. Reduce the heat to a low boil and cook for about 20 minutes. Then lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover tightly, and cook for 1½ to 2 hours, or until beans reach your desired tenderness.
Step 6: Serve. Once beans are tender and creamy, taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot with cornbread or your favorite sides.
💭 Pro Tips
- Always rinse and sort the dried beans before cooking.
- Don’t skip the overnight soaking or the quick soak. It helps the beans to cook evenly.
- Simmer for the best flavor.
- A leftover holiday ham bone, pork neck bones, smoked turkey wings, or smoked sausage will also work for the added meat.
- Make sure the beans are covered with water throughout cooking.
❔ Recipe FAQs
While they are both technically white beans, they differ in flavor and texture. Navy beans are soft and creamy, whereas Cannellini beans have a nuttier taste and a meatier texture. Great Northern Beans usually absorb cooking flavors and are meatier than other beans.
These beans are a great side dish to pork chops, ribs, or cube steak. When you add meat to the beans, this dish can easily serve as a main dish.
Long, slow simmering creates creamy beans. Slightly mashing a few beans near the end also thickens the broth.
More Dried Beans Recipes
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Great Northern Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-2 pounds Great Northern Beans I used 2 pounds. This will serve a crowd.
- 1.5-2 pounds Sliced smoked ham or smoked pork chops cut into pieces
- 8-10 cups Water I used 10 cups for 2 pounds of beans.
- 2 teaspoons Salt Adjust accordingly. This was for 2 pounds.
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Clean the Beans. Wash the beans and pick out any foreign matter or damaged beans. Rinse well and set aside.
- Quick Soak the Beans. For every 1 pound of beans, soak in 2 quarts of water. Add beans and water to a large pot. Bring to a full rolling boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let it soak for 1 hour. After soaking, remove and discard any remaining water, rinse, and reexamine the beans for any bad beans.
- Start Cooking. Add the soaked beans back to a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Add Remaining Ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a rolling boil.
- Simmer. Reduce the heat to a low boil and cook for about 20 minutes. Then lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover tightly, and cook for 1½ to 2 hours, or until beans reach your desired tenderness.
- Serve. Once beans are tender and creamy, taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot with cornbread or your favorite sides.
Notes
- Always rinse and sort the dried beans before cooking.
- Don’t skip the overnight soaking or the quick soak. It helps the beans to cook evenly.
- Simmer for the best flavor.
- A leftover holiday ham bone, pork neck bones, smoked turkey wings, or smoked sausage will also work for the added meat.
- Make sure the beans are covered with water throughout cooking.
An easy and delicious recipe. I used smoked pork chops, but leftover ham would also be tasty. Budget Friendly!