Enjoy melt-in-your-mouth tender Great Northern beans with ham. This stovetop recipe makes the most delicious savory and creamy white beans recipe.
Great Northern Beans Recipe
This is one of those recipes where simple ingredients come together to make something incredible. My Great Northern beans recipe is super simple and oh so delicious!
These easy Great Northern beans are cooked with ham and seasoned with thyme, parsley, and garlic. They’re cooked low and slow on the stove for 3-6 hours (depending on your preference, but I really recommend letting them go for the full 6 hours). This time allows the flavor of the ham to infuse into the beans. As they continue cooking, they break down a bit and become creamy with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
This recipe is so filling and makes the perfect comfort food for those cold fall or winter days. Since this recipe makes plenty, you can serve it at a gathering, or enjoy easy meals with the leftovers for up to 3 days.
You can honestly eat it as a soup or as a side dish. Either way, I definitely recommend serving it with a slice of creamed corn cornbread to sop up the delicious broth.
Pro Tip
These beans get even more delicious as they rest in the fridge for a day or two. This is a great make ahead dish. Since it makes plenty, it’s easy to make it once and enjoy it for a few days.
Ingredients
Great Northern Beans: These beans have a mild flavor that takes on the other flavors in this dish really well, they also hold up well to longer cooking times.
Butter: This is the fat we’re using to saute the onion and garlic. You can replace it with a neutral tasting oil if you prefer, but the butter adds a richer and creamier flavor.
Onion and Garlic: These aromatics add tons of depth of flavor to this dish. Garlic adds a savory flavor, while onion adds a lightly sweet flavor. They work together to create the base of flavor for this recipe.
Thyme and Parsley: These herbs add a layer of savory and fresh flavors to this dish. If you happen to have fresh herbs on hand, feel free to use those instead! Just keep in mind that you’ll need to use 2 diced Tablespoons of each (since fresh herbs are less potent than dried herbs).
Ham: Ham is both salty and savory, and those flavors pair very well with the creamy beans. I tend to either use leftover holiday ham, or get cooked ham steaks from the deli counter.
Salt and Pepper: The salt enhances the other flavors in this dish, while the spice of the pepper balances out the rich savory flavors in this dish.
Chicken Broth and Water: We’re using a combination of chicken broth and water as the cooking liquid for the beans. Using a combination allows you to flavor the beans from the inside out, without making the flavor overpowering.
Alternative Ingredients
- If you don’t have Great Northern beans, you can always use another type of white beans, like navy beans or cannellini beans. Just keep an eye on the cooking time as it might change.
- If you don’t have any ham, you could try using smoked ham hock, bacon, kielbasa, or a smoked turkey leg.
How To Make Great Northern Beans
Soak the Beans: Pour the beans into a large dutch oven. Fill the pot with enough cold water to cover the beans by about 2 inches, and soak overnight. After the beans have soaked, drain them using a colander. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Cook the Onion: Dry the dutch oven, then heat it over medium heat. Add butter and let it melt. Once melted, add the finely diced onion, sauteing until it’s translucent.
Add the Garlic and Spices, then the Ham and Beans: Mix in the minced garlic, dried thyme, and dried parsley. Saute until it’s aromatic. Add the soaked beans and the ham to the dutch oven.
Add Remaining Ingredients: Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the chicken broth and water, stirring to combine all the ingredients.
Simmer: Increase the heat to high until the mixture comes to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, covered. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
What Is The Difference Between White Beans And Great Northern Beans?
White beans generally refers to either Great Northern beans, cannellini beans, or navy beans, which are all beans that have a white color. They’re all similar, but have their own unique characteristics. They differ in their size, flavor, and texture.
What Are Great Northern Beans Good For?
I love serving Great Northern beans in recipes like this one as a side dish. They also hold up well in soups or as a salad topping. They also make delicious baked beans (like this baked beans with ground beef recipe).
How Long Does It Take To Cook Dry Northern Beans?
After soaking, it will take a minimum of 1 hour to cook them. I prefer them more in the 3-6 hour range when they’re more tender.
Can You Cook Great Northern Beans Without Soaking Them?
I don’t recommend it. If you’re short on time, I recommend using the quick soak method. To do this, pour the beans into a pot, then add enough water to cover the beans. Bring the water to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes before removing the pot from the heat. Place the lid on the pot, and let the beans soak for 1 hour.
How Do You Know When Northern Beans Are Done?
You can tell if they’re done by carefully tasting one (careful – they’ll be hot). They should be easy to bite into, not be crunchy at all, and have a creamy interior. How creamy you like them is up to personal preference. I prefer them very creamy.
What Goes With Great Northern Beans?
This is a fantastic side dish for meat, like this air fryer ham, these baked country style ribs, these ham steaks, this pork steak, or this Instant Pot pork loin. It also pairs especially well with cornbread. My favorite ones to serve it with are this Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn, this sweet potato cornbread, a slice of Jiffy Mexican cornbread, this recipe for how to make Jiffy cornbread better, or a slice of Mexican cornbread casserole.
Storing And Freezing Leftovers
Let the leftovers cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat them on the stove over medium heat. You may need to add a splash of water or broth if they seem too dry as you’re reheating them.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Dinner Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other dinner recipes. Some reader favorites are:
- Chicken Potato Soup
- Crockpot Baked Beans
- Baked Beans with Ground Beef
- Instant Pot Tomato Soup
- Jiffy Cornbread With Creamed Corn
- Chili Con Carne
BEST Creamy Great Northern Beans with Ham (Stovetop Recipe)
Enjoy melt-in-your-mouth tender Great Northern beans with ham. This stovetop recipe makes the most delicious savory and creamy white beans.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds Great Northern beans (3 cups dried beans)
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion (1 cup, finely diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 1/2 pounds smoked ham (cut into roughly 1 inch chunks)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups water (see notes)*
Instructions
- Pour the beans into a large dutch oven and sort through them, removing any dirt, debris, or bad beans. Fill the pot with enough cold water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Cover the dutch oven with a lid, and let the beans soak overnight (8 hours).
- After the beans have finished soaking, drain them through a colander to remove the excess water, and dry the pot.
- Heat the dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the butter and let it melt. Once the butter has melted, add the diced onion and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add in the minced garlic, thyme, and parsley, and saute until aromatic (about 1 minute).
- Add the beans and ham to the dutch oven. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper. Pour in the chicken broth and water (see notes)*, then stir together.
- Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat back down to low and simmer, covered, for 3-6 hours. (The time depends on how soft and creamy you like the texture to be. I like them really creamy, so I cook them for 6 hours.)**
Notes
*I like the taste and texture of this when I use the full amount of water and chicken broth, and then let it simmer for 6 hours. If you plan to cook this for less time and want the beans to turn out creamy like they look in the photos, I recommend using only 1 cup of water. Just keep an eye on it as it cooks and add more water if it’s starting to look too dry.
**As it simmers it gets thicker and creamier. After 6 hours of simmering, I was happy with the creamy consistency.
As the leftovers rest, they do get thicker. You may need to add 1/2 cup of water at a time when reheating leftovers until you reach your desired consistency.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I recommend serving this as a side dish with some cornbread. I love serving it with this Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/8Amount Per Serving: Calories: 304Total Fat: 7gCarbohydrates: 41.9gFiber: 11.9gSugar: 5.5gProtein: 30g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
I hope you love this Great Northern beans recipe as much as I do! It’s comforting, hearty, and completely delicious.
5 thoughts on “Great Northern Beans Recipe”
I grew up on beans and ham and was looking for a recipe that taste like moms. This is it. Just as is. Thank you.
Best recipe ever. Creamy and so flavorful!
Alexa
I followed the recipe by the list. “Except” I used green onion sausage instead of smoked ham. Great recipe for Great Northern Beans.!
Thank you so much.
Put a cup of great northern into soak last night. Cooked them with ham this morning. Just a pinch of salt and pepper.They were so creamy.The juice was just as.good as the beans.
First off I have never had ham & beans that I liked. That said, now I’m hooked. I followed the recipe exactly & it is so good! The spices are perfect! Thank you!