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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Beans

    Crock Pot Great Northern Beans - Southern Style

    Published: Oct 17, 2020 ยท Modified: Jan 18, 2021 by Sally ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท 32 Comments

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    Crock Pot Great Northern Beans - Southern style! So hearty and delicious and fabulous served with my Southern Cornbread Recipe.

    Great northern beans with ham close up in bowl

    Dry beans, ham hock, and all the other flavors that are hearty and flavorful will make you and your family happy!

    So simple to put together - like any good slow cooker recipe - and yet so flavorful after all-day cooking!

    Jump to:
    • ๐Ÿ’– Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • What are Great Northern Beans?
    • What You'll Need
    • How to Make
    • Expert Cooking Tips
    • ๐Ÿ“‹ Recipe

    ๐Ÿ’– Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • Easy -
    • Quick to put together -
    • Family friendly -

    What are Great Northern Beans?

    Great northern beans are a large white bean that's similar in taste to Navy beans, but they hold up a bit better than Navy beans during cooking. They are definitely not "northern" or anti-southern, however.

    They have a hearty, creamy flavor and serve up nicely with ham, veggies, and other seasonings. For great northern beans, you can easily substitute Navy or cannellini beans.

    Beans with ham and carrots overhead shot in bowl

    What You'll Need

    • 2 pounds dry great northern beans
    • water
    • ham or pork hock
    • salt to taste
    • black pepper
    • 1 large carrot
    • 1 large celery stalk
    • cayenne pepper
    White beans with ham and cornbread

    How to Make

    Add all ingredients to a large slow cooker.

    Cook on high 4-5 hours or low 7-8 hours.

    Remove ham hock to cool a bit. Remove ham bits and add them back to the slow cooker.

    Stir the ingredients, taste, and add salt if needed. Serve hot with corn bread or biscuits.

    Easy peasy! And so delicious!

    White beans in a bowl served with corn bread

    Expert Cooking Tips

    I like to soak my beans in water for 12-24 hours so they will cook more quickly and not be as hard to digest (yes, less gas for you and your family!)

    After soaking, make sure to rinse the beans well before cooking. Some foam may form at the top of the liquid while cooking. It's good to skim that foam off if you have the time, as this is more gas forming on the surface.

    If you don't have a ham or pork hock (which is simply a portion of pork leg bone with some meat on it), you can add in some cooked ham pieces (about 2 cups worth) to flavor the beans.

    No need to add broth, as the ham hock will do the job broth would do. Simply adding water is sufficient.

    You may not need to add any salt at all. This all depends on how salty your hock is and your preferences. That's why I'll leave it up to you. I didn't need to add any to mine.

    I like to soak my beans in water for 12-24 hours so they will cook more quickly and not be as hard to digest (yes, less gas for you and your family!)

    White beans with ham and carrots in bowl

    More Bean Recipes to Love:

    Ham and Bean Crockpot Soup (using Leftover Ham)

    Crock Pot Black Eyed Peas with Ham Hock

    Southern Black Eyed Peas and Collard Greens

    ๐Ÿ“‹ Recipe

    Great northern beans with ham close up in bowl

    Crock Pot Great Northern Beans - Southern Style with Ham

    A crock pot great northern beans recipe on a comfort food blog might make you a bit suspicious, but don't fret. These beans are all about Southern and all about comfort!
    4.89 from 17 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: beans, Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Southern
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 hours hours
    Total Time: 5 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 805kcal
    Author: Sally

    Equipment

    • Slow Cooker

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds great northern beans , dry
    • 6 cups water
    • 1-ยฝ pounds ham hock
    • salt to taste
    • ยฝ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 large carrot sliced or chopped
    • 1 large celery stalk sliced or chopped
    • ยฝ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Add all ingredients to a large slow cooker.
    • Cook on high 4-5 hours or low 7-8 hours.
    • Remove ham hock to cool a bit. Remove ham bits and add them back to the slow cooker.
    • Stir the ingredients, taste, and add salt if needed. Serve hot with corn bread or biscuits.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 805kcal | Carbohydrates: 96g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 2456mg | Fiber: 31g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2067IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 293mg | Iron: 10mg
    Tried this Recipe? Share it Today!Mention @SavoryWithSoul or tag #savorywithsoul!

    More Beans

    • Turkey lentil soup served in a white bowl
      Turkey Lentil Soup Recipe (quick & easy)
    • Panera Turkey Chili Recipe (copycat)
    • Cooked black eyed peas with ham served in bowl.
      Crock Pot Black Eyed Peas with Ham Hock
    • Black eyed peas, collard greens, and ham served in bowl.
      Southern Black Eyed Peas Recipe with Collard Greens

    Comments

    1. Theresa carney says

      January 30, 2025 at 6:42 am

      5 stars
      This was a great recipe and very easy to follow for us beginners.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        January 31, 2025 at 3:32 am

        Great to hear, Theresa!

        Reply
    2. Patti funkhouser says

      June 06, 2023 at 12:28 am

      Do you have to soaks great northern beans in a cock pot

      Reply
      • Sally says

        June 06, 2023 at 4:43 pm

        Patti - Soaking dry beans helps them to cook faster as well as getting rid of some of the gas-producing elements in the beans, making them easier to digest. However, you don't have to soak them - they will take a bit longer to cook and may cause more gas discomfort if you don't.

        Reply
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    4.89 from 17 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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    I'm Sally, and I love great food! Whole foods, specifically, and savory, yummy eats! I love using spices and trying new combinations - in fact, I consider it an art form, as I smell and taste my way through each dish.

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