Ham and Beans with Cornbread

In my humble opinion, few dinners are as filling and satisfying as a big pot of beans served with cornbread fresh out of the oven. They can be as simple - or as diverse - as you care to make them. You can cook them from the hard, dry bean state, or simply pop open a few cans. You can make them with or without meat. Truly a great meal on for any budget.

Being a busy, working Mom, I tend to take the quickest path when whipping up dinner so I usually use canned beans. If I have leftover ham (especially the kind with the bone) I will throw it into the beans to simmer. If not, I just buy a package of cubed ham or a small package of turkey or smoked ham to slice and add. Of course, as I mentioned above, it is not necessary to add ham if you's like a vegetarian meal.

To make this meal visually appealing, I like to mix up the types of beans for variety in shape and color. Here's what I usually use to make a large Crock Pot full:

1 can Dark Red Kidney Beans

1 can Large Butter Beans

2 cans Great Northern Beans

1 can Black Beans

2 cans Pinto Beans

You can mix and match the types of beans to suit your taste.

I also add a half bag of frozen chopped onions and peppers. You can buy these in your freezer section. Or, time permitting, simply chop and lightly saute a large onion and sweet bell pepper in the color of your choosing in a little olive oil. Once all of this is in the crock pot I throw in the ham bone and chopped ham and let it all simmer until it's time to eat.

Nothing goes better with Ham and Beans than good cornbread. Easy and filling too! I buy 2 boxes of the Jiffy Cornbread mix and mix it up according to the instructions on the box. Then I add 2 tablespoons of sugar and half of one small (8 0z) container of sour cream. Mix it together thoroughly and bake as instructed. Yum!