There’s a whole line of commercially prepared baked beans readily available for busy people who like baked beans but are short on time. I’ve never tried any of them, but I hear they are just fine. I’m sure they are. However, contrary to a marketing tag line, I don’t think they are simply the best. That description belongs to homemade baked beans.
The secret to simply the best baked beans has nothing to do with the beans or the barbeque sauce. It’s all about the bacon. So much so, I do think the title of this age-old dish should be Baked Bacon on a Bed of Barbeque Beans.
For the homemade version, bacon bakes on top of beans and slowly releases it smokey sweet bacon grease into the beans creating a flavor you just can’t get from a can.
The preparation is easy and relatively fast. All you do is open a couple of cans of pork and beans, dice up a piece of a bell pepper, make a simple barbeque sauce and mix it all together. Then you peel and quarter an onion and bury it in the beans.
Now comes the BACON. Cover the top of the beans with smoked bacon. That’s the part that missing from the canned product. You certainly cook bacon in a commercially prepared product but it gets all mixed in and isn’t noticeable. I’m not even sure if store-bought canned baked beans get cooked with bacon. You can bet your bottom dollar my homemade baked beans are. You can see, smell and taste the bacon. That’s the way baked beans were intended.
The cooking time does take some planning, for the bacon and beans need at least an hour to reach their maximum peak of deliciousness. The pay off is that you get to smell bacon cooking for an entire hour. In my book, that’s simply the best.
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Country Baked Beans
yield: 8 servings
A good quality smoked bacon makes all the difference in the world. Having said that, there may be no such thing as a bad quality smoked bacon. So, nevermind. The addition of green bell pepper may seem a tad bit unusual. The flavor will not overwhelming but it adds a special touch to the dish.
2 ( 1 pound 12 ounce) cans pork and beans (I used Van Kamp’s)
1/4 large green bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1 large sweet onion, peeled and quartered
4 strips of the best bacon you can get your hands on
Mix pork and beans with diced bell pepper.
Mix together next three ingredients and add to bean mixture. Mix well. Pour into a baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Don’t forget to spray the dish. This stuff bakes on likes nobody’s business.
Bury the onion quarters in the beans.
Cover the top of the beans with the bacon.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until the bacon is crispy and the beans mixture is bubbly. The level of the liquid should cook down just below the surface of the beans. The amount of cook time is dependent up the size of the baking dish and the depth of the bean mixture. I used a 9 1/2 inch by 3 inch round baking dish and cooked them for 2 hours.
Country Baked Beans)
Ingredients
- 2 1 pound 12 ounce cans pork and beans (I used Van Kamp’s)
- 1/4 large green bell pepper finely diced
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 1 large sweet onion peeled and quartered
- 4 strips of the best bacon you can get your hands on
Instructions
- Mix pork and beans with diced bell pepper.
- Mix together next three ingredients and add to bean mixture. Mix well. Pour into a baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Don’t forget to spray the dish. This stuff bakes on likes nobody’s business.
- Bury the onion quarters in the beans.
- Cover the top of the beans with the bacon.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until the bacon is crispy and the beans mixture is bubbly. The level of the liquid should cook down just below the surface of the beans. The amount of cook time is dependent up the size of the baking dish and the depth of the bean mixture. I used a 9 1/2 inch by 3 inch round baking dish and cooked them for 2 hours.
Kurt says
Yes yes ! Kudos to you for preaching on the bacon and the beans. Great baked beans have bacon and in my opinion maple syrup. Keep them coming Jackie !
Jackie Garvin says
Kurt,
Maple syrup would be an interesting addition, too! 😉
Jean says
Hi Jackie….yep..it’s all in the bacon! Of course all those other good things help the delish taste along too. Ever add sausage? It’s yummy too!
Jackie Garvin says
Jean,
I’ve never had sausage in baked beans but a BBQ place here in town used to put smoked pork in their baked beans. That was a great addition!
Brandy says
We used to brown ground beef and add it to baked beans. My aunt called them “cowboy beans.” All us kids loved them. They had a hint a heat as well but not much.
Mary says
The bacon looks so gooood! I love the way it cooks on top of the beans & gets all crispy! Another great addition is molasses…..yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
Jackie Garvin says
You’re most welcome, Mary. Years ago, I would always use Karo syrup in my baked beans. I started using brown sugar exclusively for the sweetening because brown sugar contains molasses. We’re on the same page! 🙂
Michele says
Very close indeed to my grandmother’s….. thank you dear Jackie!!! xoxo
Jackie Garvin says
You’re welcome, Michele! 🙂
muggles4musings says
This has been my recipe for baked beans for 57 years, since I was a child bride and my Mom taught me how to do them — when we had a family picnic or reunion I was not allowed IN unless I brought the beans. I have made ‘from scratch’ beans that are pretty good, too but when you don’t have three to four hours to do them after an overnight soaking of the beans — this way is BEST. My grand-dad didn’t like the onion so Mom taught me to take root end and slice off the top of a big onion, sink it in the pot, when the cooking was done reach in with a long fork and get the onion out — he never knew.
Jackie Garvin says
Dear Muggles,
The reason I leave the onion in big pieces is the same as you stated. Folks can eat around it if they are not inclined to eat onion but you still get the flavor. 🙂
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Jackie Garvin says
I will check it out, John.
Melodie SisterWingnut Mills says
Is it in English?
JoAnn Tindall says
I love the bacon! Going to try this ASAP!
Jackie Garvin says
JoAnn,
It truly is all about the bacon! 🙂
janet louise says
Wow, I love the green pepper addition and of course the brown sugar , and of course, THE BACON)! My sister-in-law wants me (is ‘challenging’ me) to make baked beans from scratch for the family Easter meal. I have made them in the past and they were pretty good! However, I am going to use this recipe instead and then transfer them to the ‘Bean Pot’ I used to use for the ‘scratch’ baked beans! LOL!! I think this recipe will blow everyone away…and I will get all the credit! Thanks so much for such a delicious recipe.
Jackie Garvin says
Janet,
You sly little devil, you! 🙂 Please let me know how YOUR beans turn out.
jlhohe1 says
Will do…actually I can’t wait to make them (and eat them) myself!
sharonfutrellhodge says
I was on Bloggers and your title stop me. I am southern girl who love syrup an biscuits. However, I notice the baked beans and the picture looks delicious! I have not make baked beans, as I am one who buys them too. But, this seems pretty easy and who doesn’t like bacon, even though I shouldn’t have it. I gotta keep up because I am a recipe girl too. Just stopping in from http://makeitorfixit.com.
Jackie Garvin says
So glad you stopped by! Welcome to Syrup and Biscuits. 🙂
Lane Edwards says
ONLY 4 slices of Bacon?????
Jackie Garvin says
I could only fit four in the baking dish, Lane! LOL!!!!
Mary Ann says
Yummmy! I have an elaborate recipe that includes adding hamburger and sauted onions as well as lots of spices and condiments….lots of work. In the end my family likes your version better! thanks for such good recipes all the time Jackie.
Jackie Garvin says
Mary Ann,
Your version sounds fittin’ to eat! You can cook that for me anytime! 🙂
Parris Moore says
Hats off to you, you make yours like I do mine.I am the only one in my family that makes them like that.. The only way for me.
Jackie Garvin says
Parris,
It’s the best way, as far as I’m concerned. 🙂
Chris says
Has anyone ever canned these or would they turn to mush?
Karen says
Have you ever bought dry beans and started from scratch?
Jackie Garvin says
I have, Karen. I tend to overlook the beans so the texture is mushy by the time the baked beans are finished.
Donna Huskey says
Just about identical to mine! Except I chop my onion and it goes in with green pepper and I always use dark brown sugar. My husband used to tell people that mine were the best he had ever eaten!
Jackie Garvin says
Donna,
Yours sound delicious!
Bonnie says
Hi,
I love, love, love baked beans. I have used this recipe (or something very much like it). I sometime add a small can of crushed pineapple or peaches (chopped) with juice. Just something a little different.
Jackie Garvin says
I love them, too,Bonnie and can make a meal off them. I’ve had them with pineapple but never peaches. That’s an interesting idea!
Nancy says
Can you make this ahead of time and bake later?
Jackie Garvin says
Nancy,
Absolutely! Make it up, cover with foil and store in the refrigerator until ready. Remove cover before baking.
debi says
I love these and do the same but I add 2 tablespoons of Molasses it is the best!!!
Jackie Garvin says
🙂
Melodie SisterWingnut Mills says
Instead of brown sugar or in addition?
Peggy Ward says
I make mine like that too. I have also made them like this. Brown hamburgher, and add onions , green peppers for a few min. Two or three cans beans, any kind as I doctor them up. Add Barbque sauce, brown sugar, molasses and meat mixture and put in crock pot or oven and bake. So good too.
The Teresa Kilpatrick says
Trying this today ! Have some extra smoked sausage I’m going to throw in there too !
Jackie Garvin says
Oh, my! That will be awesome, Terrsa. Save me a bowl! 🙂
Judy Pritchett says
I have really been disappointed in the quality of the bacon, ham hock, and other smoked meats I have purchased lately. Seems as if they are cutting corners and the smokey flavor is just not there.
Jackie Garvin says
Judy,
I agree with you. I have an especially hard time finding ham hocks that are smoked and not flavored with artificial smoke flavoring . For hams, I only buy Cumberland Gap. I’ve never been disappointed in one. Costco has some good apple wood smoked bacon that we like. If you find a good brand, stick to it!