Ham, Kale, and Navy Bean Stew in the Slow Cooker

I’m about to tell you some secrets, two of my biggest tools that I use for having a real food lifestyle with little to no time. Are you ready?

Top secret real food tool #1: Have a plan. You’ve heard the old Ben Franklin saying, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail,” right? Same idea. If you want to be healthy and lose weight, you have to have a plan, as simple as that.

Top secret real food tool #2: My slow cooker. My amazing slow cooker is running day and night. I have been known to cook oatmeal in it at night, wash it out after breakfast and then refill it with dried chickpeas to cook to make into hummus, and then wash it again at lunchtime so I can fill it up with dinner. It really does sometimes run for 24 hours a day!

Did you know that my friends at eMeals have combined both these tools into a slow cooker menu that is ready to go, complete with shopping list? Check it out here:

And I have a treat for you today! Here is a little preview of the Slow Cooker meal plan. This delicious Ham, Kale and Navy Bean Stew is served over homey Cheese Grits, and appears on this week’s Slow Cooker Classic Meal Plan. It makes wonderful leftovers for lunch, and it freezes perfectly. I would suggest looking for a ham that is nitrate/nitrite free, and if possible, one from a pastured and/or organic pig.

Ham, Kale, and Navy Bean Stew in the Slow Cooker

 

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Author: Emily - www.thatswhatieat.com

Ingredients

• STEW:
• 6 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 lb potato, peeled and cubed
• 2 (15-oz) cans navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (16-oz) package chopped kale (or collard greens)
• 1 (28-oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (16-oz) package fully cooked cubed ham
• 32-oz chicken broth
• _______
• GRITS:
• 2 cups uncooked quick-cooking grits
• 8-oz sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

1. For Stew: Combine carrots, onion and potato in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Top with beans, kale, tomatoes and ham; pour in broth.
2. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.
3. For Grits: Cook grits according to package directions; stir in cheese and butter until blended and smooth. Serve stew over grits.

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What is your favorite slow cooker meal?

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