A can of cream of mushroom soup can be a real dinner saver. It works great in casseroles and can turn into a sauce or gravy in a pinch.


2 cups dried navy beans
1 smoked pork hock
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 stick celery, chopped
1 small handful fresh Italian parsley, chopped fine
1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes
Soak the beans overnight in cold water.
In the morning, rinse the ham hock and place in slow cooker. Rinse the beans and add to cooker along with onion, garlic, celery and parsley. Stir and add enough water to cover the meat.
Cook on low setting for 10-12 hours, or high 6-8 hours.
Remove the hock and cut the meat off the bone. Raise slow cooker setting to high, return the meat to the cooker, and add potato flakes (if desired) as well as additional water if necessary. Stir, cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
Pamela Chester, CDKitchen Staff
Read more: Presidential Food Favorites
A can of cream of mushroom soup can be a real dinner saver. It works great in casseroles and can turn into a sauce or gravy in a pinch.
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reviews & comments
July 20, 2013
Beans cooked up beautifully. Didn't add the mashed potatoes which I assume is to thicken the soup?