White beans and ham
Creamy, thick Southern white beans simmered with ham, onion and thyme, spooned over rice like the cheapest cozy dinner going.
- 45 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.19 a serving
- 570 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice
- 8 oz diced cooked ham
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans cannellini beans, with their liquid
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
- 2 stalks green onions, sliced (optional)
From your pantry
- 3 cups water
- ½ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leave
- ½ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 570 calories, 29 g protein, 97 g carbs and 7 g fat, and costs about $2.19 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No chicken broth? Vegetable broth or bone broth works.
- No hot sauce? Sriracha works.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Put the rice, water and of salt in a and .
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook 18 minutes.
Low heatTimer: 18 min
While the rice cooks, heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high and cook the ham 4 minutes, stirring, until at the edges.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium-high heatTimer: 4 min
Add the onion and celery and cook 5 minutes, stirring, until soft. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
Medium heatTimer: 5 min
Add the beans with their liquid, the broth, thyme, bay leaf and pepper and .
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Medium-high heat
uncovered 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick and creamy and the ham is steaming hot.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Medium heatTimer: 20 min
Dolly’s tip: Press a cup of the beans against the side of the pot with your spoon. Mashed beans are what turn it thick and creamy.Food safety: Rotisserie chicken, deli meat, canned tuna and cooked shrimp are already cooked. Keep them cold until you use them, and heat them until steaming hot if the recipe warms them.
Fish out the bay leaf, taste for salt, and add the hot sauce if you like.
Spoon the beans over the rice and scatter the green onions on top.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
