Sweet, smoky and delicious, my baked beans are kissed with a hint of bacon, bourbon, molasses and brown sugar! They're a wonderfully bold and saucy side dish to nestle up next to all the delicious grilled items on your summer spread!
Baked Beans, a Scrumptiously Sweet and Smoky Side
Beautiful, warm, lovely summer... it's definitely the season for grilling and BBQ-ing, and feasting outdoors on lots of our most beloved finger-licking foods fit for extra napkins! 😉
Some of my absolute favorite times of this season are when my hubby and I gather up a few simple ingredients, grab some beers, and head outside to our cozy little grilling area in the backyard for an evening of good food, prepared together, under the stars.
From juicy chicken, to shrimp, to tender and succulent steak or even sausage and brats, all of these offerings pique our appetite and totally enliven our senses as they sizzle and sputter away on our grill.
And the best side dish to generously spoon up next to these scrumptious offerings? BBQ baked beans!
My sweet and savory homemade baked beans are made with smoky bacon, brown sugar, molasses, a hint of bourbon and a drizzle of maple to bring a bit of warm, saucy coziness to the table.
How to Make Baked Beans on the Stovetop
The nice little thing about baked beans is that they're not always prepared baked in the oven—they can be done stovetop just as easily!
Personally, I actual prefer stovetop baked beans because I like to be able to take a little peak under the lid and check to see how things are coming along as the beans simmer (I'm nosey that way), and be able to stir as often as needed.
I find that preparing baked beans this way allows for me to see if any additional broth or water needs to be added towards to latter part of the cooking process, as the beans tend to absorb liquid as they soften.
It's also nice to be able to check the doneness of the beans after a few hours, and sneak a little taste!
Here's a glance at my baked beans recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)
- Because I do use dry great northern beans in this recipe, the first thing I do to prepare my beans is place them into a large bowl and cover them with water by about an inch to soak overnight (at least 8 hours, even up to 24 hours); then, I drain them.
- I get the baked beans “party” started by adding my soaked beans plus the rest of my flavor/seasoning ingredients into a medium-large pot, stir together, and bring things to the boil; then I reduce the heat, cover with a lid askew, and cook the beans for about 4-5 hours until tender (adding liquid as needed).
- Once tender and thickened, I finish off the baked beans by adding my crispy bacon, bourbon and maple, plus a couple of good sprinkles of salt, and check to make sure they're well seasoned before serving with my favorite foods!
Recipe
Baked Beans
by Ingrid Beer
Category: Side
Cuisine: American
Yield: Serves 10
Nutrition Info: 440 calories
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 5 hours
Total time: 5 hours, 20 minutes
Ingredients:
• 1 lb. dry great northern beans (or small white beans or navy beans) soaked overnight in water, then drained of excess
• 5 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed (you can also use water)
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, pressed through garlic press
• Cracked black pepper
• ¾ cup ketchup
• ¾ cup BBQ sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
• Pinch or two ground cumin
• Pinch or two smoked paprika
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• Olive oil (about 1 tablespoon)
• 12 oz apple smoked bacon, crisped and chopped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• Salt
- Add the soaked beans to a large pot; next, add in the 5 cups of chicken broth, the diced onion, the garlic, a few generous pinches of cracked black pepper, the ketchup, BBQ sauce, tomato paste, ground cumin and paprika, plus the brown sugar, molasses and a generous drizzle of olive oil, and stir the ingredients together.
- Place the pot over high heat, uncovered, and once the contents begin to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low or low, cover with a lid askew, and simmer the beans for about 4 - 5 hours, stirring occasionally, or until the beans are tender and the sauce is rich and thick. (You may need to add the additional broth/water during the latter part of the cooking process once the beans begin to absorb the liquid.)
- Once the beans are tender, turn off the heat and add in the crisped, chopped bacon, the maple syrup, the bourbon and a couple of good pinches of salt to taste, and stir to incorporate; taste to see if any additional seasoning is needed.
- Serve the beans warm alongside your favorite grilled meats, hot dogs or other favorite BBQ items!
Tips & Tidbits for my Baked Beans:
- Soaking dry beans: To prepare dry beans, you'll need to cover them with water by about an inch and soak them overnight for at least 8 hours or even up to 24 hours, then drain. This helps to soften and prepare the beans for cooking, sort of “rehydrating” them.
- Save the salt for later: Over the years I've heard a number of people share that salting dry beans while they cook (and while they're still hard) tends to make them tougher, or tends to make them take longer to cook and become tender. So I suggest adding the salt in once they're tender, at the end of the cooking process, or at least towards the end.
- Leave out the bourbon: While there are only 2 tablespoons of bourbon in this pot of beans, you can omit it if you prefer. It adds a little hint of sweet complexity, but it won't make the baked beans any less scrumptious should you choose to leave it out.
- Vegetarian baked beans: I happen to really love the flavor of apple smoked bacon added into these baked beans, but you can leave that out if you prefer to make vegetarian baked beans. You'd also substitute veggie broth/stock for the chicken!
Hungry for more delicious summer-y sides? Check out this Cornbread, this Warm Roasted Potato Salad, this “Loaded Baked Potato” Salad, or this Broccoli Salad!
Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2013, and has been updated with even more love!
LaNeshe
Think this could work in the crockpot?
The Cozy Apron
Hi LaNeshe, I really don't see why not!
Michael
Absolutely the best baked beans ever....thanks for sharing your personal recipe. Way better than the BBQ restaurants in the area!
I only required about 3 of chicken stock cause I left the lid on, but added more Whiskey!....I wasn't able to watch the beans...but it turned out amazing. Thanks so much again, they were the hit of the party.
The Cozy Apron
Thanks so much for your comments, Michael! I'm so glad that this recipe was a hit for you, and that you adjusted levels according to your needs (the more whiskey the better, right?) I appreciate you stopping by to share with me!
Todd
The flavor was tasty but I had some issues when I made this the other day. Despite soaking the beans overnight, simmering for four hours and then cooking another 2 hours or so the next day as they sat in a crockpot, the beans were still quite under-cooked.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Todd, I'm sorry to read that the beans were still undercooked, even after all the time you described. The only thing I can think to offer is a longer cooking time, unfortunately—sometimes the dry beans just take a long time. If you REALLY want to cut down on time, however, you can certainly always use canned beans (probably about 4 cans), and use about 2 cups or so of stock, but keep all the rest of the ingredients as they are. Done in a flash—maybe just let 'em simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until onion is nice and tender, and the beans/sauce are thickened.
Jennifer
I had the same problem. Flavor delish but beans were not soft, they were firm after 7 hours of cooking.
Cole
Hi, the issue may be in the acidity of the bbq sauce. We use a very vinegar heavy bbq sauce, so I don't put it in early. Acid prevents beans from getting soft when cooked. Hope this helps.
Scott
We had the same problem, even though the flavor was AWESOME!
Honestly, I don't see how simmering for four hours is better than actually baking them.
It's just not as good at cooking beans, and when you add hours to simmering... you run out of liquid.
My solution was to use a trusty bean pot. You know... an actual clay bean pot? I have both half and full gallon pots and just finished making this recipe doubled, in the gallon pot.
Instead of simmering for four hours, I simmered for an hour and then moved all of it to the bean pot and baked at 300F for three hours.
The result?
PERFECTION!
Guys, if you're gonna be making baked beanns... BAKE them. If you love making home made baked beans -GET A BEAN POT!
There is no shortcut to baking beans, unfortunately.
The Cozy Apron
Hey Scott, thanks for sharing your preferred method—always helpful if someone is looking for an alternative. It seems that either way, unless one is using a pressure cooker (which is also a great idea), none of us can get away from cooking the beans for anything less than 4 hours; but the baking method keeps things off the stove, which can be nice. Glad you enjoyed the flavor!
Scott
Yeah, dried beans need lots of cooking.
We got all sorts of compliments on your recipe, and since we cut out the bacon they were an awesome vegetarian option.
I must have copied and pasted the link to this page five times and passed it around to those who asked.
Out of a whole GALLON of beans, we were left with a mere cup for leftovers.
A CUP!
Thanks again for sharing this recipe.
It's wicked!
The Cozy Apron
Scott, so stoked about that! And thank you so much for coming back to let me know this! Thanks for sharing the recipe, too... 🙂
Kim
Where did you buy the bean pot? I’m out of town and we’re having a cookout. This recipe sounds delicious! If I were home I’d probably use my InstaPot utilizing the pressure cooker.
Michelle
I made these yesterday, and they were soooo good! Even my picky fiancé and 2 & 3yr old kids loved them! Definitely will be making these more often now. Thanks so much for your recipe. (Btw, I left out the bourbon, but was still delicious)
The Cozy Apron
Hi Michelle! So happy these turned out for you, and that even the kiddos enjoyed them! 🙂 Thank you for taking a moment to share with me your experience with this recipe, and I'm glad you'll be making these again.
Judy
I haven't made these beans yet, and it is really a coincidence that I find a recipe tonight that calls for bourbon because I just bought some bourbon today for the first time in my life, and I just turned 67! I've been on Pinterest and have found several baked goods and desserts calling for bourbon, so you can imagine how happy I was to see this recipe! However, I'm not really commenting because I bought some bourbon!
C-L
I currently have a batch cooking right now in the slow cooker. I used canned beans (drained) and doubled the sauce because it is so out of this world. I failed to mention this is currently the second batch I am making in 72 hours. Yeah, that is how amazeballs this recipe is! You hit it out of the park, really fantastic. Thanks!
Mara
How many cans did you use? I'm planning on making this recipe tomorrow and bought 4 cans
The Cozy Apron
Hi C-L, so happy to read your comments! I really appreciate you taking some time to share your thoughts on the recipe with me, and I'm thrilled that it was a part of your holiday meal! 🙂
Joe
I've been looking for a good recipe to make smoked baked beans. I'm starting a barbecue place soon and the same old beans keep showing up when I check out other barbecue joints. This may be the one I use and if so, I'll give you all the credit. Thanks for posting this!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Joe, how fun! Hope you enjoy the recipe, and best wishes on opening up your own BBQ place! 🙂
Kelly
I would like to make these in a slow cooker. I have read the above comments using '4 cans' - what size cans? Also, how long do you recommend cooking in a slow cooker and at what temp? I am planning on making these for Father's Day this next weekend. It looks like a super recipe, and I like the idea of skipping the soaking/longer cooking steps involved with raw beans....Thanks!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Kelly, how exciting that you'd like to make these for Father's Day next weekend! The size of the cans are approximately 15 ounces (sometimes they're 14.5 or so); and as far as how long/temp, since the canned beans are already soft and cooked, you really just need to simmer to mary the flavors, and thicken. I'd say a lower setting since you don't want to over-cook the beans and make them mushy, and just long enough to thicken. (I haven't used a slow-cooker for this, so unfortunately, I don't have exact settings/time.) I know on the stove-top it wouldn't take much longer than about 40 minutes or so. Hope you enjoy!!
Lydia
Any recommendations on a brand of canned beans to use for the quicker method of cooking?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Lydia, I really don't have a preferred brand—just whatever looks best. If you don't mind spending a little more, you could go with the organic variety; otherwise, just make sure they're the small, white beans (navy beans).
Amy
I am making these beans right now! So far they are delicious! (I keep sneaking tastes!) I added a couple of tablespoons of dijon mustard and love that tangy addition. I haven't added the bourbon or syrup yet, but I'm sure they will taste even better! BTW... I started this recipe with veggie stock instead of chicken stock, because one of my girls is a vegetarian. Then I just took out several ladle-fulls for her before adding the bacon. We are also stirring in grilled pork sausage links to make it into a meal "Beanie Weenies" at the request of my 2nd daughter. Just wanted to share other options!
The Cozy Apron
Amy, I love it—"beanie weenies"! I'm already excited for you, haha! You did great with using the veggie stock—smart. And adding in some grilled pork sausage? Wow! Now you'll all be celebrating, for sure! Thanks for your comments, and happy eating!
Lynda
There were several people who commented that the beans would simply not soften. I've had that problem before, and I found out that when that happens, the problem often is that the beans had gone stale (meaning they had been in the bin at the store too long). I've learned now, to buy the beans in packages that have the date on them. To be fresh enough to absorb the liquid in cooking, beans should not be older than one year. At least that's my understanding about the issue, and since I've been more careful about the age of the beans, I haven't had that problem of the beans not softening with cooking. Just thought your readers might like to try this as a remedy.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Lynda, I really appreciated your comment! I hope this info helps folks out—if the beans are pre-soaked, then it really shouldn't be taking over 7 hours for them to soften (or not even soften, in some cases) so I think you may be on to something with "old" beans. Thanks!
Sheralee
These were fabulous. Made them to serve with a smoked brisket and decided to do them a day ahead (but only made 1/2 recipe). Thank goodness I had another day to make more! A couple of notes: if you're concerned about undercooked beans, the simplest solution is to make the recipe in the pressure cooker. After 3 or so hours of soaking the beans, 30 minutes or so in the pressure cooker and they're done. Can't beat that with a stick. Additionally, I found them sweet enough that I omitted the maple syrup at the end, but will likely add the bourbon to the second batch. I also used smoked paprika, ground and roasted cumin, and a dash of liquid smoke. Thanks so much for a great base!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Sheralee, so glad you enjoyed! And the pressure cooker tip is wonderful; definitely will cut the cooking time by lots. Thank you for your comments!
Taina
These are on my stove right now. HOLY AWESOMENESS. I love this recipe! I did not use dry beans but 3 cans of organic pinto beans. It made the cooking time less and it worked perfectly! I'm about to add the syrup and bacon...I don't have any bourbon tho but I don't think it'll be missed. Good job! 🙂
The Cozy Apron
Taina, I'm thrilled to read that! So glad you're enjoying this recipe, and the canned beans most definitely make a great shortcut. Hope you continue to enjoy! 🙂
Katherine Johnson
The flavor on these beans is incredible, and they fill your house with the most amazing smell. Unfortunately, I had similar results with the dried beans as some others. I soaked them for approximately 14 hours, and then cooked them for a whopping 9 hours. I watched them carefully, and added additional liquid as needed. I couldn't believe they weren't cooked through! Could the pan be the culprit? I used a Le Creuset coated cast iron pot. I'm going to make them again today with canned beans. That flavor is too good to pass on!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Katherine, it can be tough (no pun intended) with the dry beans. I sometimes wonder if they're already old when we buy them? Not sure. However, I'm glad you'll just sub in the canned beans next time. So glad you enjoyed the flavor, and I appreciate your comments!
Amanda
Good morning friends! I am starting a batch with this recipe early today and read your comments about undercooked beans. Altitude has loads to do with bean cooking too. If you've never lived in a high altitude, you probably wouldn't have known that stove cooking beans is a chore all in itself. We have to change cooking times and temps for just about everything. My mother never could make a pot of beans (pinto) up here without a pressure cooker- I managed once but it did take simmering almost 18 hours! So, easy fix is either a "Power Cooker", (tm) or a pressure cooker. But do for sure watch for the outdated beans- they'll throw a rock in your pot- literally! 🙂
The Cozy Apron
Hi Amanda, I appreciated your comments so much! Thank you for sharing that with everyone. Wonderful advice & tips!! 🙂
Ani
Hi, do we cook the beans in the chicken stock? If so, do we add all other ingredients once beans are cooked?
The Cozy Apron
HI Ani, as per the recipe, you will cook the pre-soaked beans in the stock, along with all of the rest of the ingredients up to and including the drizzle of olive oil; once they are cooked/tender, finish by adding in the crisp bacon, maple syrup and bourbon. Hope that clarifies! 🙂
Ina
So just to clarify..if using canned beans..no need to use any chicken stock at all? Just drain the canned beans? Then add in all the other ingredients? Or..I thought I read somewhere that at least 2 cups of chicken stock with canned, drained beans before adding in all the other ingredients..? And for how long before adding all the other ingredients? Sorry I just got really confused with the whole back and forth between canned and dry :/ I am planning to make this Saturday and probably with canned beans, so just want to make sure if a) 4 cans is still the amount that would serve 8 people b) the canned means should or shouldn't be drained and c) if chicken stock is still needed and if so how much. Sorry you're probably repeating yourself a lot and I'm too confused by going back up to all the comments! I'm really excited to try this though!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Ina, thanks for your question! If you'd like to go the "canned beans" route, then what you will do is drain (and rinse) the beans, then add them to a large pot with about 2 cups of chicken stock (start with this and watch to see if that's enough or if you'd like to add more), along with the diced onion and the rest if the ingredients up to and including the drizzle of olive oil; bring the beans up to a good simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low or low, and allow the beans to gently simmer, partly covered, for maybe 30-40 minutes, or until everything is soft (onion, etc.) and thickened up. (Finish the beans as is directed in the recipe.) Hope you enjoy, and that this helps!
Dale Wurts
My wife is an old time cook and a very good cook, if I may say so. She says the beans stay hard because you put in salt. Leave the salt out until the beans are done.
The Cozy Apron
HI Dale! Tell your wife thanks for the advice! I'll take a good tip from an "old time cook" any day. 🙂
Lisa
I just made this recipe for my birthday. I followed the recipe and my beans cooked for exactly four hours. The result fantastic. The taste amazing. My beans definitely cooked throughly. I will cook it again. Way better than canned beans for sure. ***side note I added more BBQ sauce and seasonings because of the added water*** But the taste stayed in tact.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Lisa, thanks so much for your comments! Glad you enjoyed these, and Happy belated Birthday to you, too!.
Akilah P.
The first time that I made these delicious beans I tried them on the stove top, but they never got soft. I was determined to make them again so I tried a two step process and found success. I cooked the beans, broth, cumin, salt, smoked paprika, onion, and garlic in my pressure cooker on high for 70 minutes. When they were done cooking I transferred them to the stovetop in my Dutch oven and added the rest of the ingredients. They came out perfectly, and I'm making them today to take to dinner at a friends. Thanks for this yummy recipe. The family devours them!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Akilah, so glad your found a better method for preparing these if they weren't softening for you! The pressure cooker is an ideal method—I use one from time to time as well, and it can cut the time dramatically, as you found. I'm thrilled you're enjoying the recipe, and that you're sharing it with friends, as well! Thank you for your comments.
Lisa
I did according to the recipe, but my beans never completely cooked through, after cooking for four hours I put them in a crock pot on high for a few hours and still not cooked all the way. Love the sauce, so going to make it again with can beans.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Lisa! Sorry you had some problems with the beans, but I think it's great that you enjoyed the flavors, and that you'll have another go with canned beans next time. It's all about whatever helps! Thank you for sharing.
Jamie
Have you ever tried making these in a smoker? I'm thinking of placing them on a rack underneath a brisket while it cooks. I was wondering if cook time would be similar.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Jamie, unfortunately, I don't have any experience with that method, so wouldn't know what to recommend in terms of "adjustments"; but it sounds really tasty if you want to try that out! (I assume that the items in your smoker take quite a long time, and time is a friend of beans, so it may be a good partnership...)
Lorena
Great recipe!! Everyone loved them but I also had hard beans after 5 hours on high on slow cooker. I soaked them the night before and was surprised not tender after several hours in the crockpot. I took them out and put them in the pressure cooker and they turned out great. A definite keeper! Thanks for the recipe.
Marcie
If I leave out the bourbon, will that affect the flavor? What about molasses (I can't stand molasses). Also, I thought if I simmer with the bacon it would be more smoky flavor-what do you think?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Marcie, I say make the recipe your own! Leave out the bourbon and molasses, and simmer with bacon if you desire...yes, it will be different, but use the recipe as a baseline and make it to your own taste. 😉
Travis
This is a great recipe. I made without the bourbon and it was good. Instead of cooking in a pot I did it in a slow cooker.
The Cozy Apron
Travis, that's perfect! So glad you liked the recipe, and I thank you for sharing your experience with it!
Lee Willie
Really tasty recipe and took about 9 hrs of cooking to get the beans tender,even though I soaked them overnight. Will definitely make this again but might used tinned beans next time. Didn't have bourbon so I used a peaty whisky instead and the smoky whisky flavour really worked well.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Lee, boy those took a long by time—geesh! I don't know what it is with some of these beans, even after soaking...Anyway, glad you hung in there & that you enjoyed the end result. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience!
Elizabeth
I made these for a Southern themed Thanksgiving dinner this year and they were a big hit! I used canned beans per some of the previous comments and I found 5 to be the right quantity. Simmered for about 30 minutes on the stove top with all ingredients. Super easy! Flavors were delicious. Had the traditional baked beans sweetness to it.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Elizabeth, so glad you enjoyed these! I'm honored to have had them as a part of your special Thanksgiving. 🙂
Nek
Just made this a day ago to pair with ribs for a family I had to take a meal to and it came out amazingly delicious! I soaked my beans for about 24 hours and had no issue with it softening up. The only issue I had was that though I cut the bourbon by half, the bourbon had a strong presence which was apparent to kids and the family I made it for. I would say depending on your audience you could add or omit the bourbon. Otherwise is was very tasty! I'll definitely make them again. Thanks for sharing this delightful recipe!
The Cozy Apron
Nek, I’m so happy this was such a success for you! Thank you for sharing with me!
Shannon
Hi! This sounds amazing and, judging by all the comments, it seems others agree. I want to make this for a Christmas Eve side dish. We aren't the hosts, so: if I make them the way you explained, can I transfer them to a crock pot to keep them warm or reheat them once we get to our party? Or will those things ruin them? Thank you!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Shannon, how fun you plan on preparing these as a holiday side! You can totally keep them warm in a crock pot, or even reheat them once you arrive. They are fairly hearty, so that shouldn't be a problem. Hope you enjoy!
Shannon
Thank you!
Dawn
If I want to make this as a side for approximately 40-50 people, how much should I multiply the recipe by?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Dawn, that is A LOT of people! Wow!
This recipe feeds about 8-10, so if you're multiplying, you'd probably multiply things by roughly 5.
Dawn
And can I make this the day prior and just heat the day off?
The Cozy Apron
I’d actually recommend that! (And if going the dry bean route, don’t forget to soak ‘em!)
Dawn
If using canned beans, will cooking them the night before then reheating the day of won’t make the beans too soagy?
The Cozy Apron
Hi Dawn, the canned beans are probably a good idea for this large quantity; and you still can prep the recipe the day before.
Keep in mind you will not need to cook the beans but more than about 45 minutes to an hour (since they’re already soft), just enough to allow them to thicken.
You would also use less stock/liquid, as they won’t need it.
Unfortunately, I can’t give you an exact quantity, because this recipe is based on dry beans; just use your judgement & add stock until you get a slightly thinner consistency than you’d like to finished beans to have., and as they simmer, the starches in the beans will thicken things up.
(Remember, you can always add more stock/liquid as you need it...)
And when reheating, do it gently, and don’t stir super vigorously as to not break them up.
Kezzi
This is my favorite beans recipe but the beans take forever and a day to cook lol. I just use canned to speed things up!
The Cozy Apron
Hey Kezzi, good! Makes things easier, for sure!
Todd
Hi. I’m trying this recipe right now. Getting the stock boiling now. After reading the comments, I’m changing things up a bit. Instead of chicken stock I’m using turkey stock from a smoked turkey I did last last Thanksgiving. I’m allowing myself lots of time since the beans seem to take forever. I am also leaving out the bbq sauce and ketchup until about half way through the cook. I’m thinking about 4 hours. Then will add. Someone said it may be due to the acidity of the bbq sauce that the beans take longer to cook. Will report more later.
The Cozy Apron
Hope you enjoyed, Todd!
Greg
I have used this recipe as a base quite a few times and modified it with great success. Comes out super food every time. The changes I have made include:
- 6 cans of various beans rinsed throughly: red kidney, black, canelloni, Great Northern, Pinto
- decrease stock to 4 cups (I use standard chicken broth)
- chop 1 lb bacon and render fat in a dutch oven. Remove crisp bacon pieces and reserve.
-1 diced onion and 1 diced jalapeño to bacon fat and cook till soft
- add stock and all other ingredients then heat to a simmer
- dutch oven in oven uncovered at 350 x 1 hr then on stove top partially covered to simmer x 3-4 hours.
- 1 lb hamburger meat broken up and browned in frying pan
- add reserved bacon and hamburger when bean mixture starts to significantly tighten but not quite done (about 30 minutes before beans are done)
- Cook until beans are tender and sauce is vey thick
The Cozy Apron
Hey Greg, glad you've been enjoying...and thanks for sharing your yummy sounding version!
Amy
Best baked beans ever! I used up beans that had been in the cupboard for like 10 years and they still worked. SOOOO good. I had bannock to go with it. Comfort food to the max!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Amy, that is awesome! So glad to read you had success with the recipe...even with some mega old beans, lol! 🙂
Thank you for sharing your experience.
Amy
Best baked beans ever. Seriously. I like to make these on a day off, stirring occasionally while it's in the oven. I like to pre-soak my beans in the instant pot too, in case i forget to soak them overnight. I've also learned to double the recipe so i can have more. SOOOO GOOD. Thank you!!!!
The Cozy Apron
Thanks so much for that, Amy! I'm thrilled you enjoy this recipe so much. Making a double batch sounds like a terrific idea! 😉