Cheap and Easy One Pot Meal

If you are looking for a meal that won’t break the bank, but is delicious, satisfying and filling, I’m pretty sure this white beans and ham with fennel and dill is going to fit the bill perfectly. It can be made with leftover ham if you have any, but a ham steak or deli ham works well too. I like to use dried beans, but canned beans will work in a pinch. Cheap, easy and versatile. That’s a winner.

What Beans to Use

White beans is a general term that refers to any variety of white bean that you like. It could be Great Northern beans (pictured above), navy beans, cannellini beans, or lima beans. While some people like to soak their beans ahead of time, that really just cuts down on the cooking time and is not necessary if you’re willing to cook them for a little longer. The one exception is if the dried beans you are using are really old – then they will take much longer whether you soak them or not. I cook the beans in water, with big chunks of celery and carrot, a halved onion and some bay leaves. All the big pieces make it easy to remove them once the beans have cooked. What you end up with is delicious beans AND bean liquor, which you’ll use in this recipe. If canned beans are what you have, then drain and rinse the beans and just use a little extra water instead of the bean liquor.

How to Cut Fennel

Fennel is a delicious vegetable with a licorice flavor. It is made up of a series of leaves stemming from a core – much like an onion. So, when you’re trying to dice fennel, dice it just as you would an onion. See more about how to cut fennel here. 

Fresh Burst of Dill

I love the dill in this recipe. For me, it really turns the dish into something interesting. I have a rule about using fresh herbs in cooking: add as much of the fresh herbs as you think you need… and then add more! The recipe calls for ¼ cup of fresh dill, which is a minimum. Don’t guess – measure it. Taste it. And then add more if you like it.

How to Serve White Beans and Ham

This one pot meal is perfect with just some greens tossed in a vinaigrette and a chunk of bread to sop up the liquid at the end. It’s a great meal to serve when you have people arriving home at different times since it holds well on the stovetop. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It will continue to get thicker as it sits, but you can dilute it with a little water or chicken stock.

White Beans with Ham, Fennel and Dill