Here’s a good old-fashioned baked bean recipe. It’s so delicious with just the right amount of sweetness, peppers and spices. Make this over the weekend and you’ve got a delicious side or snack for the rest of the week!
Baked Beans
- 1 pound dried Great Northern beans
- 1 pound bacon, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 jalapeños, chopped, (seeded and deveined if you’d like less heat)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Soak beans in a plastic container overnight in just enough cold water to submerge them completely.
Preheat oven to 265-275 degrees F, depending on your oven.
Place a cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat and stir in the bacon. Render the bacon fat for about a minute, then add onion, and jalapeños until enough fat has rendered from the bacon to softened the onions, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, dark brown sugar, and molasses.
Drain the beans and reserve the soaking liquid. Add the drained beans to the Dutch oven. Place soaking liquid in a measuring cup and add enough vegetable broth to equal 4 cups of liquid. Add the liquid to the Dutch oven (or cast iron skillet) and bring to a boil over high heat. Add in cayenne and black pepper and the other spices (ginger, chipotle and cumin), if using. Given them a stir and cover with the lid or foil. Place the Dutch oven or skillet in the oven for 6 to 8 hours, or until the beans are tender. Add kosher salt after the beans are cooked through. Let stand for a few minutes to thicken and then serve.
Approximately 7 to 9 hours; Serves 8 – 10
Chop onions and jalapeños. The peppers include seeds here, but feel free to remove the seeds and veins to reduce the heat.
Render fat from the bacon for about a minute or two before adding the vegetables.
Vegetables softening with bacon in a cast iron skillet.
Vegetables, tomato paste, dark brown sugar, and molasses, combined, then stir in drained beans.
Place soaking liquid in a measuring cup and add enough vegetable broth to equal 4 cups of liquid. Add the liquid to the Dutch oven (or cast iron skillet) and bring to a boil over high heat.
Cover the mixture with the lid or foil. Place the Dutch oven (or skillet) in the oven for 6 to 8 hours, or until the beans are tender.
Baked beans fresh out of the oven after 6 hours.
Time to eat!
