OK ladies another request

[Blonde Granny]

I'm cooking and making recipes that are easy to divide into single servings. So far, apple crisp, tuna & noodle casserole, chicken taco soup and today making Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuits.

Now, I need a really good recipe for hamhocks (whatever they are) or just ham and beans. DH would never eat anything like beans and ham, but I've never made it and the times I've had it, I just loved it.

So, gimme your best recipes.

[Chocolate Lover]

Mostly you need time if you're using dried beans.  If I'm not feeling lazy, I'll toss some chopped onion and garlic in and a bay leaf. A little salt and pepper at the end, and that's about all I do. 

[Deleted]

Hamhocks make a good base for a pea soup.

[haapai]

I'm not really sure what recipe you're looking for or if you have hamhocks that you need to use.  Can you describe the dish that you're so fond of? 

I'm a great fan of HamBeen's 15 bean soup.  The recipe is on the bag of beans.  I'd avoid using their quick-cook recipe though.  It seems to make me gasier than the traditional soak. 

You'll definitely want to divide this recipe up and freeze some of it.  No matter how much you adore the soup, you really, really shouldn't eat more than a bowl of it a day or eat a bowl of it a day for a week.   

[Blonde Granny]

What are hamhocks and where do I find them? Is there a reason to use those rather thick slices of bacon or diced ham?

[Blonde Granny]

I'm not picky haapai, just know the times I've ordered the beans and cornbread it's been really good. Oh, and definitely want to use either my slow cooker or my 4.5 round Le Creuset French oven and let them simmer in the oven all day.

[Shooby]

My mom used to make an amazing ham and bean soup.  And, i think it had a touch of vinegar which really made the dish.  I dont' have the recipe though.  My family hates beans so it is something i don't make.

[Deleted]

Hamhocks are the pig's feet.

[Blonde Granny]

Dec 16, 2015 14:57:37 GMT -5 @anne81 said:

How about beenie weenie?  I love it but shouldn't - pineapple, sliced up hot dogs, and baked beans all heated together in a pot.

Honey Baked ham sells sliced ham by the lb or small ends of ham that you can nibble off of or use in soups.  It's a nice size when making smaller meals.

I make chili, shepherd's or cottage pie, and chicken pot pie and freeze in individual portions.

I usually have single servings of chili frozen, never thought about doing shepherds pie and for me, chicken pot pie is easier to get at Cracker Barrel on Wednesday (brought half home today for dinner tonight).

I also have 4 servings of veggie-less stew in the freezer too. For someone who doesn't like to cook, I'm going with Marvholly...cook once eat 6 times.

[haapai]

Ham hocks are basically cured piggie ankles.  They are sold with the skin still on, so they add a nice bit of fat to the soup and the bones add quite a bit of collagen, which can make the soup quite a bit thicker.  They can be a bit difficult to find even in a well-stocked supermarket.  They seem to be kind of like suet, or most lamb cuts, i.e. sometimes they are there in the case but most of the time they are not. 

I've never substituted ham for the ham hocks so I can't say what the difference is.  I'm pretty sure that the package even suggests that substitution, but I've never tried it. 

My SO isn't particularly wild about this dish or its side effects, so I only make it when I spot ham hocks. 

[Deleted]

Hapaii beat me to it, but to reiterate they are smoked heavily, the rind or skin and the bones and connective tissue add a lot of gelatin to the beans and make them nice and thick...sounds gross to some people, but it's true. And the meat is very rich on that part of the pig

[chiver78]

Dec 16, 2015 15:28:40 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

Dec 16, 2015 14:57:37 GMT -5 @anne81 said:

How about beenie weenie?  I love it but shouldn't - pineapple, sliced up hot dogs, and baked beans all heated together in a pot.

Honey Baked ham sells sliced ham by the lb or small ends of ham that you can nibble off of or use in soups.  It's a nice size when making smaller meals.

I make chili, shepherd's or cottage pie, and chicken pot pie and freeze in individual portions.

I usually have single servings of chili frozen, never thought about doing shepherds pie and for me, chicken pot pie is easier to get at Cracker Barrel on Wednesday (brought half home today for dinner tonight).

I also have 4 servings of veggie-less stew in the freezer too. For someone who doesn't like to cook, I'm going with Marvholly...cook once eat 6 times.

I found a blog post on FB that I shared on my own wall (will link later, can't access FB from work) that talked about freezing soups in single portions in large muffin pans, then storing the "muffins" in ziploc bags. no freezer containers needed. I'm going to try it out myself soon, if it works, it seems like a really good idea.

[grumpyhermit]

Dec 16, 2015 15:46:34 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Dec 16, 2015 15:28:40 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

I usually have single servings of chili frozen, never thought about doing shepherds pie and for me, chicken pot pie is easier to get at Cracker Barrel on Wednesday (brought half home today for dinner tonight).

I also have 4 servings of veggie-less stew in the freezer too. For someone who doesn't like to cook, I'm going with Marvholly...cook once eat 6 times.

I found a blog post on FB that I shared on my own wall (will link later, can't access FB from work) that talked about freezing soups in single portions in large muffin pans, then storing the "muffins" in ziploc bags. no freezer containers needed. I'm going to try it out myself soon, if it works, it seems like a really good idea.

I do this when I make BBQ pulled chicken. It works really well and I end up with little pucks that I toss in a bag. I also do this with tomato sauce and lime/lemon juice (using ice cube trays).

[Blonde Granny]

Dec 16, 2015 15:50:28 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

Dec 16, 2015 15:46:34 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I found a blog post on FB that I shared on my own wall (will link later, can't access FB from work) that talked about freezing soups in single portions in large muffin pans, then storing the "muffins" in ziploc bags. no freezer containers needed. I'm going to try it out myself soon, if it works, it seems like a really good idea.

Costco sold/sells frozen soup that was basically this.   It was actually quite nice and was great for single nights when I didn't want to cook. 

Chiv, don't know if this is the link you had, but this is a great idea: www.thekitchn.com/the-easiest-way-possible-to-fr-136197

[chiver78]

it wasn't, but it tells you everything you need to know just as well.

[haapai]

It's not a recipe but I also have nice things to say about Birds Eye frozen green beans with almonds.  It's not a single-serve package, but it's hardly a two-serving package either.  It's an easy way to get your veggies and sometimes it goes on sale for a buck.  It may be pricey and over-packaged, but it will not rot in your crisper. 

[Apple]

I think this is the recipe I (kind of) followed last time.  I used dried beans though (soaked overnight, then boiled until they began to split--read directions on dried beans).  I also used a ham bone (leftover from a baked ham), and simmered it for a few hours (add liquid if needed).  The flavor was good.


www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/quick-ham-and-bean-soup


Ingredients
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
4 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained (I used dried)
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham (I used a ham bone and ham)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions
In a large saucepan, saute the carrots, celery and onion in butter until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook for 15 minutes or until heated through (with the ham bone and dried beans, I cooked it for a couple hours). Discard bay leaf. Yield: 7 servings.

I like the chili powder and garlic, but you can look up different recipes to find herbs/spices you prefer, and change it up as you want.

[Apple]

I've used a muffin pan to freeze broth, then put it in freezer bags.  However, I used a silicon muffin pan, so it was pretty easy to pop out.  Not sure how easy soup would pop out of a metal muffin pan.  If you do soup, you may want to grease the sides so it comes out more easily once frozen.

I cook meatloaf in muffin tins so I can freeze individual servings easily as well.

[Blonde Granny]

I used my Food Saver for the veggie-less stew, and I've stacked other containers with soups and casseroles. I also keep a current list of how many of each item I have in the freezer. As I take 1 container out, it immediately update the list which is taped onto the freezer door.

[Chocolate Lover]

You can tell I live in the South, I've never ever had trouble finding ham hocks in the grocery stores.  

[haapai]

Are they cheap too?  They aren't here.  At this latitude, ham steaks are cheaper by the pound than ham hocks.  It feels seriously wrong to pay that price for a lump of flavoring that is mostly rind and bone but I do it anyways.  As soon as the hocks are in the pot and the packaging disposed of, I start to feel all frugal and old-fashioned, despite what I paid for the trotters. 

[Blonde Granny]

Apple, the recipe sounds good, I'd probably not add the carrots or celery, and not a big fan of chili powder, but maybe a few chunks of jalapeno might be good.

[chiver78]

Dec 16, 2015 16:15:52 GMT -5 Apple said:

I've used a muffin pan to freeze broth, then put it in freezer bags.  However, I used a silicon muffin pan, so it was pretty easy to pop out.  Not sure how easy soup would pop out of a metal muffin pan.  If you do soup, you may want to grease the sides so it comes out more easily once frozen.

I cook meatloaf in muffin tins so I can freeze individual servings easily as well.

that is an excellent idea... good thing I haven't bought any jumbo muffin tins yet.

[Waffle]

Would jowl bacon (also known as pork jowl or hog jowl) work if she can't find ham hocks?

[Chocolate Lover]

Dec 16, 2015 16:36:00 GMT -5 haapai said:

Are they cheap too?  They aren't here.  At this latitude, ham steaks are cheaper by the pound than ham hocks.  It feels seriously wrong to pay that price for a lump of flavoring that is mostly rind and bone but I do it anyways.  As soon as the hocks are in the pot and the packaging disposed of, I start to feel all frugal and old-fashioned, despite what I paid for the trotters. 

I bought a 2 pack recently and it was probably $3 something. 

[mmhmm]

HERE is a link for southern butter beans 'n' ham. I've done this one and it's really good. Pure ol' fashioned comfort food. It even has a crock-pot method included and a lot of variations.

[Blonde Granny]

It looks like I'll be eating a lot of beans in order to find which recipe I like the best.

Thanks everyone!!! As always you're the best!!!

[Artemis Windsong]

Fast black bean soup               Make 3 to 4 servings

1 can Refried black beans
1 can black beans drained and rinsed

Pace chunky salsa.  Sprinkle top with cheese.

Mix together, heat. 

[Artemis Windsong]

If you are using dry beans, soak then THREE TIMES in soda water to remove the gassy element.

[chiver78]

Dec 16, 2015 19:59:06 GMT -5 Blonde Granny said:

It looks like I'll be eating a lot of beans in order to find which recipe I like the best.

Thanks everyone!!! As always you're the best!!!

If you like black beans, definitely look up the slow cooker black bean pulled chicken recipe I posted on the recipes board. if you can find it by the morning, either pm or tag me. I'll be on a 'puter by then, I'll go find it and link back. it's stupid easy and ridiculously versatile.

sent from my electronic distraction