Easy Ham and Bean Soup

Loaded with savory, smoky broth and filled with beans, ham and veggies.

Bean soup (like most homemade soups) is a labor of love. And time. First, there is the all-important ham bone which is one reason people don't make bean soup more often and usually only around the holidays. It's not like we all have meaty ham bones laying around the refrigerator. And then there's the soaking of the beans. And rinsing. And soaking some more. And chopping. Scraping the bone of meat, etc.

There has to be an easier way, I thought. And this recipe is it. Begin with a meaty ham shank and a can of cannellini beans. Throw is some canned chicken stock and veggies and you have great, wonderful tasting soup in two hours. Really. Trust me on this.

If you follow KB, you know how much I love ham shanks. A ham shank is NOT the same as a ham hock. A ham hock is the the pig's ankle. It's bony without much meat, but it's great for flavoring stews and soups. The shank, on the other hand, is like a mini-ham. It's kind of like the pig's "calf" (that's funny--pig and calf). Both are wonderfully smoked, but the shank yields a lot more meat. Unlike ham, the meat is more gelatinous, so it's great for stews and soups and can take long simmering or braising. And they're inexpensive.

Smoked ham shanks are meaty and gelatinous. Perfect for soup and stews.
These were about three dollars, total.

Pork hocks are usually easier to find than shanks. When I lived in Michigan, my local grocer carried large, meaty shanks wonderfully smoked. Ironically, here in the South, they are difficult to find. Even more ironic, the only place that sells them is my local Target Super Store under the brand name "Cooks."

•  1-lb. meaty, smoked ham shank
• 1 whole clove
• 1, 19 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (I use Progresso)
• 3 1/2 cups low-sodium canned chicken stock
• 1/3 cup chopped onion or leeks (or a combination)
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme or a few pinches dried, whole thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (do not omit)

Place all ingredients but the smoked paprika into a 10-cup pot or Dutch oven with lid. Bring just to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for two hours.

Remove thyme stems, clove and ham shank. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the shank and dice. Discard bones and fat. Return meat to soup and mix in. Add the 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika. Stir. Taste for seasonings. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Notes: Paprika and smoked paprika are not the same, so don't substitute. If you really want to make this easy, buy carrots, celery and onions already cut and diced for you in the produce dept. of your local grocery store. Had I a fresh Roma tomato or two, I would have cut them up to add along with the veggies. But the smoked paprika gives a nice color to the soup.

Garlicky Pimento Cheese

Failure really does breed success, especially in cooking. This recipe is the perfect example.

Pimento cheese (P.C.) is a culinary staple here in the South. I recently viewed a short video for a pimento cheese recipe via Saveur and thought I'd give it a try. It was okay. But since it's not something I grew up with, I really didn't have a "past experience" to compare it. I almost threw it out. But ingredients these days are dearly priced.

I put it in the fridge and went to bed thinking about it. (Yes, food bloggers are always thinking of food, ingredients and recipes.) The next day I tweaked it some. Then some more. Then some more. Finally, I realized I was in a no-man's zone and had no idea what I was looking for or tasting. And I was stuck on that bloody ingredient "pimento." I was tempted to add even more, but why??? Finally, I returned to the roots of my tastebuds: more garlic. But that didn't seem to work either. Disgusted, I covered it and thrust it back in the fridge.

The next day I thought I'd have one last taste before it hit the garbage. WOW! Time was all it needed. One night in the fridge and all the ingredients got their act together and put on one taste show. Is it a standard, southern pimento cheese spread? Probably not. Purists would guffaw at the addition of cream cheese. But it's good. Hot-damn good. And that's all that matters for this Yankee.

I LOVE the little jars!

• 15 ounces sharp white cheddar, divided
• 3, 4-oz. jars diced pimentos, drained (save some of the brine)
• 1/2 - 3/4 habanero pepper, seeded*
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1, 8-oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce and/or to taste
• 2 medium gloves garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce, but no more than 1/2 teaspoon
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Using the large holes of a box grater, grate 10 ounces of cheese and add to a bowl. Grate remaining five ounces and set aside.

Using gloves, remove seeds and rib from 1/2 habanero pepper. Dice as finely as possible.  Add to a small bowl. Add drained, diced pimentos to bowl and mix. Using a micro-plane or the smallest holes on a box grater, grate the garlic and add to pepper mixture. Stir. Mix in the mayonnaise and then add to grated cheese and mix through. If needed, add a bit of the pimento brine, but no more than one tablespoon.

Place softened cream cheese in a mini food processor and pulse until smooth. Remove and add to cheese and pepper mixture. Add Tabasco and Worcestershire. Mix. Salt to taste. Return about 3/4 of mixture to processor and pulse on and off several times to mix well. Return to bowl and add remaining five ounces of grated cheese.

Cover and refrigerate for at least one day. Taste and re-adjust seasonings as needed.

Notes: This spread is not over-powering in its heat. If you like it insanely hot, add more peppers or hot sauce. Also, purchase name-brand pimentos. Some of the generic brands lack taste.

*Each pepper differs in heat. Be careful of hot peppers and use plastic gloves when dealing with them. Be sure to rinse cutting surfaces that come into contact with them. Avoid touching your face, especially eyes, when dealing with any hot pepper.

Scalloped Potatoes with Leeks and Mushrooms

This dish blew me away. It's a keeper and my new go-to potato dish. I kept going back for more and more. The depth of flavors was incredible. It's a classic and simple pairing of leeks and mushrooms tucked between thin-layered potatoes and cheese.

It's important to use a mixture of mushrooms for this recipe. I used a pre-packaged blend I bought from the grocery store that included crimini, shitake, and oyster mushrooms. They have a woodsy flavor you can't get from white button mushrooms alone. And don't sub onion for the leeks.

Serves 4-6

• 2 cups mixed, chopped mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped leeks
• 1 small garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
• 1.5 pounds potatoes
• 3/4 cup cheese (I used half white cheddar and Parmesan)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Cut off root ends of leek and slice off to area that is just beginning to turn green (see picture above). Slice in half lengthwise. Peel apart and check for sand and grit. Wash if necessary. Pat dry and chop. 

Add about 2-3 teaspoons olive oil to a pan and sautee leeks just until they begin to brown. Remove to a plate and set aside. 

Add a bit more olive oil to pan and add mushrooms. Cook just until they begin to give up their juices, 5-7 minutes. Add leeks to pan. Stir. Add garlic and stir just until fragrant, about one minute. Remove from heat. Salt and pepper and to taste.

Microwave cream just until warm, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Peel and slice potatoes into 1/8-inch rounds using a mandolin. Save largest rounds to be placed on top last.

Butter or spray an 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Gently layer half of the potatoes into dish in overlapping rows, like shingles. Do one row horizontal, the other vertical. Give a slight sprinkle of Kosher salt and pepper. Spoon mushroom and leek mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle with half the cheese and then layer rest of potatoes on top, ending up with largest slices. Drizzle in the cream being sure to coat top layer of potatoes. Cream will not rise to cover the entire dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in a 400 F. degree oven for 35 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake uncovered for another 30 minutes or so until potatoes are tender and top is golden. Remove from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes to allow potatoes to re-absorb juices. Cut and serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Notes: if you use a shallow dish, spray the foil so the cheese doesn't stick.

Scalloped Potatoes with Three Cheeses

Tender, soft pillows of potato and onion quilted with cheese and cream. What is not to like?

Use fresh cheeses for a great scalloped potato dish.

The first time I made this was for a family Christmas served alongside a beef tenderloin. Relatives still talk about it. What's not to like? Creamy potatoes baked with cheddar, Parmesan and blue cheese. Use quality cheeses that you grate yourself. If I use blue cheese, I generally use Maytag Blue. For the recipe below, I used Gorgonzola. Instead of using all milk, I use about 2/3 whole milk and 1/3 half-and-half. Either way, don't use reduced-fat milk. It's not unusual for the potatoes to look "curdled" during baking. That's okay. It generally works into a creamy sauce with the cheese. I generally use a mixture of shallots and yellow onions. 

A mandoline makes easy work of grating the potatoes. Do not use boiling or waxy potatoes. You want starchy Idaho spuds. 

(Adapted from Bon Appetit)

• 3/4 cup grated (packed) extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces) I prefer white, not yellow
• 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese or Gorgonzola (about 4 ounces)
• 1/3 cup grated (packed) fresh-grated Parmesan (about 1 1/4 ounces) do NOT use the canned stuff
• [I probably use a bit more of all the cheeses]

• 4 pounds Russet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch rounds (I think 1/8 is better)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided (I prefer Kosher)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion (I use a combo of onions and shallots)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons butter

• 3 cups whole milk (I've never used just milk. I use a combination of whole milk and half-and-half or all half-and-half)

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Butter or spray a 13 x 9 x 2 glass baking dish (I recommend spraying with Pam).

In a medium bowl, mix together all the cheeses. Set aside.

Grate potatoes. Set aside. Either grate or finely chop the onion/shallot. Set aside.

Measure milk/cream mixture in a glass measuring cup. Microwave until warm. Set aside.

Using half of the potatoes carefully arrange them in rows in the baking dish, overlapping slightly. I go one row down the length, and then the second row across the width. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Evenly sprinkle the onion mixture over it then the flour. Dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture over this and reserve the rest of the cheese. 

Now top with the rest of the potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and dot with remaining two tablespoons butter.

Pour warmed milk over the potatoes (it will not cover them completely). Tightly cover the dish with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil (liquid may look curdled, that's okay, especially if using all whole milk). Evenly scatter the rest of the cheese over casserole. Bake an additional 45 minutes, uncovered until cheese is a deep golden brown and potatoes are tender and creamy.

Oh, my!

Remove from oven. Let sit a good 20-30 minutes before serving.

This recipe is easily halved. Bake in an 8 x 8 dish and adjust cooking time accordingly. I bake it covered for about 35 minutes and then uncovered for about another 40 minutes or so.

(This may be prepared two hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Cover and re-warm in 375 F. oven for about 20 minutes)

NOTES: People always love to add more cheese. Be careful. More cheese may add more oil and grease, not necessarily taste. A little cheese with potatoes goes a long way.

Cover with milk just until the top is barely covered or it will boil over. The trickiest part of scalloped potatoes is bake time. It's easy to underbake them. 

How much milk you use depends on the thickness of your potatoes.