Name: Crockpot Ham, Green Beans, and Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Yield: 4 6
Cuisine: American, Southern
Ingredients: 1 lb fresh green beans (washed and ends snipped); 2 cups chicken broth; 1 large onion (diced); 2 cups cubed ham; 10 yellow potatoes (washed and quartered); 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper; water (as needed)

Crockpot Ham, Green Beans, and Potatoes, um, YUM!!! Fresh Green beans with ham and potatoes are one of the most hearty, filling, and delicious side dishes.

Complementary to just about every main dish dinner menu, the ease of dropping all ingredients in a slow cooker or crock pot makes this one recipe that you cannot mess up.

Crockpot Ham, Green Beans and Potatoes in a white bowl ready to serve up as a side dish

Why You Will Love Ham, Green Beans, and Potatoes

Now a lot of ham, green beans, and potato side dishes use canned or frozen green beans, and it is always a last-minute option, but the biggest issue is that when you slow cook a veggie and start with it cooked (as is the case for frozen and canned veggies), you run the risk of overcooked or soggy veggies.

Personally, grabbing a bag of fresh green beans is totally worth it, which makes this a great homemade side that everyone will enjoy.

Ingredients

1lb. fresh green beans, washed and ends snipped
2 cups chicken broth
1 large onion, diced
2 cups cubed ham
10 baby yellow potatoes, washed and quartered
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Water (as needed)

Note about Salt: Anytime you cook with ham and chicken broth, you can guarantee a slightly salty dish. This recipe does not call for EXTRA salt because chicken broth HAS salt, and it’s easier to add salt than take it away. If you would like to add additional salt at the end, start with 1 teaspoon before serving.

If you use broth with NO salt, you will likely have to add it, but I very rarely see that.

Bacon or Ham?

This dish is also compatible with bacon instead of ham.

To adapt, just fry up your bacon to optimal crispiness with your onion and then add it in place of the ham. This changes the dish to bacon, green beans, and potatoes, but it’s pretty tasty.

The ham is just a bit more hearty. If you do use bacon, make sure you take heed of that salt warning because bacon has plenty of salt content.

More Fresh Green Bean Recipes

Often, when I buy fresh green beans, I have a lot of extras.

The ones I buy in bags come with snipped ends (which I love) but are usually two pounds. If you buy a lot of green beans too and need some extra recipes so you don’t waste them, try one of these other green bean side dishes.

Yellow or Red Potatoes?

I realize that potatoes can be a very personal choice; in this case, I used and enjoy small yellow potatoes. But this dish is also great with blush and baby red potatoes (without skin removed).

Red or Blush Potatoes– lower calories than yellows, creamy taste (this is my favorite potato) – great for soups, side dishes, firmer
Baby Yellow Potatoes – Also called ‘Yukon gold” – As with all potatoes, a good source of anti-oxidant, has the most iron. All-purpose potato.
Russet potatoes – I have never made this dish with russets, but it should be fine. The russet potato has a classic taste, like mashed potatoes, but do not leave the skin on if you go this route. Russet skin is not as tasty as yellow. You may need to cut them down smaller or cook longer.

yellow yukon potatoes quartered and being dumped into crock pot

How to make Crockpot Ham, Green Beans, and Potatoes

Place fresh green beans in a slow cooker and pour your chicken broth over the top.

If your green beans are not covered completely or nearly completely under broth, add water until they are.

This will ensure proper cooking and give you plenty of broth for your potatoes.

fresh green beans in a slow cooker with broth being covered

Add diced onion and cubed ham.

ABOUT HAM:

This recipe is GREAT to use up leftover holiday Thanksgiving or Christmas ham and to serve in the days following a big holiday meal. That being said, if you want to cook this AS part of the holiday meal and haven’t used up your ham yet, then you can buy precooked ham right near your meats in your department store.

You can get ham already pre-sliced or pre-cubed!

This is how I do ham in meals year-round without getting all fancy.

Cover your slow cooker and heat on high for 2 hours.

Add all of your quartered baby yellow potatoes and seasonings and heat for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender.

The length of time will depend on how small you cut those potatoes, so make sure you keep them even. It’s better to cut them slightly smaller than slightly larger.

slow cooker green beans, ham, and potatoes in a liquid

COOKING NOTE: If the liquid has burned off too much, you can add a little bit of extra broth; it won’t change the meal. That being said, the potatoes do not need to be completely submerged to cook.

Once the potatoes are tender, everything is done and ready to serve.

Side Dish serves 4-6