When it comes to year-round American cuisine, baked beans could quite possibly be looked at as one of the most classic side dishes. They’re sweet, tangy, savory, and the best part, surprisingly easy to make. Not to mention, they’re a one-pot wonder! Throw in the fact that one batch feeds a small crowd and that most of the cooking is done unattended in the oven, and you have a winning dish that’ll be a staple for all your family gatherings for years to come. Here's everything I learned while perfecting this recipe that you should know to make it the best it can be:
Yields: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 1 hour 35 mins
apple or cherrywood smoked bacon, finely chopped
yellow onion, finely chopped
red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper
smoked paprika
kosher salt, divided
ketchup
molasses
Dijon mustard
packed light brown sugar
water
apple cider vinegar
Worcestershire sauce
(15-oz.) cans navy beans, drained, rinsed
To start off our baked beans, we'll cook our bacon. Get out a large Dutch oven or oven-proof pot. Place your bacon in before turning on the heat. Then cook over medium heat until the bacon has browned and most of the fat has rendered.
Once your bacon is done, add in your onion and bell pepper, and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. You can add more seasonings, but we'll be adding plenty of flavor later, so I like to keep it simple here. Cook them down until they are softened and lightly fragrant—this should take around 5 minutes. Once they are cooked down, you can add your ketchup, molasses, mustard, brown sugar, water, vinegar, Worcestershire, and a bit more salt
Stir everything together, then bring everything to a gentle simmer. Once it reaches a simmer, remove it from the heat, and add in all your beans.
Now it's time to take this party to the oven. Transfer your pot to your pre-heated oven, and bake uncovered until your baked beans are slightly reduced and bubbly. When the top has browned, you know you're good to go. Before diving in, be patient and let your beans sit for at least 10 minutes. Then you can give them a stir and serve.
If you want to prep these beans the night before your BBQ, assemble everything together up to step 4, then cover and refrigerate. The next day, simply bake and serve! We recommend waiting to bake your beans until you're ready to serve to achieve that delicious topping.
If you have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3-5 days.
Let us know how it went in the comments below!
2023-04-27T16:12:52Z dg43tfdfdgfd