Leftover baked ham with the bone was perfect to flavor the broth, along with the cabbage. The green beans and potatoes added color and taste variety and substance.
The only other ingredients she used were water, salt and pepper (but you can use some chicken broth to enhance the flavor). Also, I highly recommend using the optional ham hocks to amp up the smokey flavor. Note also the salt amount in this recipe is small as hams vary a lot in salt content and you don't want to create a dish that is too salty.
How very simple yet satisfying!
Yes, it was a one dish meal with a lot of flavor and excellent to serve on a cold day.
As a young adult my wife Pat and I made this dish using a roasting pan on a two burner gasoline stove, when camping in cool weather, and serving multiple families.
I decided to put this simple recipe into Food Nirvana so all readers can, if they so choose, make this very nice comfort food.
Ingredients: (serves four to six adults)
3 lbs. of ham plus the ham bone
2 ham hocks (optional but highly recommended)
1 medium size head of cabbage, coarsely chopped
3, 16 ounce cans of green beans including the liquid
4 large russett potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of black pepper
3 quarts of water or chicken broth or a 50:50 mixture
Directions:
Remove any excess fat from the ham and discard it.
Put all of the ingredients into a 2 gallon pot and make sure the ham bone is submerged under the other ingredients/liquids.
Adjust the liquid level if necessary to come within an inch of the top of the other ingredients.
Cover the pot with a lid and bring the contents to a boil on high heat.
Reduce the heat to very low and keep the pot covered with the lid.
Simmer the contents on very low heat for two hours.
Remove the ham bone and cut any meat away from it, cut any fat or gristle away from the meat, then put the meat back into the pot.
Discard the bone and any pieces of fat or gristle. Leave the (optional) ham hocks in the pot as they will continue to provide nice smokey flavor.
Serve the meal hot in soup bowls, along with some crusty bread and butter.
Let each guest season their portion with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!