Ham and Beans in the Instant Pot

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Make ham and beans in your instant pot for a satisfying meal. It’s a great way to use leftover ham and there’s no need to soak the beans!

      It is ham and beans season! This great pressure cooker recipe allows you to make it much more quickly than ever before. You can have dinner ready in under two hours with no overnight soak. So get the cornbread ready!

      Do you only have ham on holidays? That is definitely not our style.

      I remember a friend being shocked when he at down at our dinner table one random Tuesday night and a spiral ham was waiting. We do enjoy a good ham, but it’s really about the leftovers!

       There are so many great things you can make with what’s left after the first meal. If nothing else it elevates your sandwich game. Lunch meat has nothing on an actual slice of delicious ham!

       The meat that doesn’t end up in sandwiches can find itself in a number of our favorite dishes. There’s everything from ham, egg and potato breakfast chimichangas to ham and broccoli pot pie.

      Then there are the pasta dishes. We love them too!

       But the meat isn’t the only valuable part of the ham, the hock just begs to be made into ham and beans!

      Usually I make my ham and beans in the slow cooker. It is a great recipe because it’s a long slow cook, perfect for a workday. But I usually pre-soak the beans so it takes just a smidge of planning.

       I recently upgraded my pressure cooker game and added a 6 quart instant pot to the mix. So I couldn’t wait to adapt my ham and beans recipe to a quicker instant pot version.

      It worked beautifully! I started with dry beans, some simple seasonings and a ham hock. No planning needed!

     I like to add fresh ham towards the end because I prefer the texture and flavor that way.  So after an hour of cooking, I removed the bone and bay leaf and added cubed ham.

      Just 15 more minutes of cooking is all you need to get soft beans, a creamy broth and perfectly cooked ham. Just remember to get those corn muffins in the oven so you’ll be ready!

       I haven’t tried it yet, but I’d imagine you could shave off some cook time if you did soak your beans first. You could soak them while you work and cook dinner quickly when you get home!

       What are your favorite ways to use leftover ham? How about favorite instant pot recipes? I plan to give ours a workout this year!

More favorite leftover ham recipes:

Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Noodle Casserole is a twist on one of our favorite dinners. It is loaded with pasta, broccoli and cheese goodness

Cheesy Ham and Asparagus Frittata is a fabulous brunch or breakfast for dinner option. Sub in broccoli if asparagus isn’t in season.

Parmesan Pasta with Ham and Peas is a super easy dinner with just a bit of creamy sauce. It is lighter than it sounds and super delicious. 

How do you thicken ham and beans?

If your broth is thinner than you’d like, just mash a few of the beans. The starch from the beans will help make the broth thick and creamier!

Storing your soup

Store leftover soup in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Ham and bean soup also freezes really well.

For easy lunches later, freeze it in single serve sizes. Defrost the soup overnight and then warm up when you are ready to eat it!

If you want to see some of my favorite kitchen tools and gadgets, check out my Amazon shop page. There are great pans, appliances, and more! 

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