The time of the year that is filled with BBQ’s and get together’s is here! That means it is time to break out some of everyone’s favorite classic summertime dishes. For my family that means beans, more specifically “Boston” baked beans.
I’m sure you have heard the classic song, about beans. You know the one,
Beans, beans, the magical fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot
The more you toot, the better you feel
So eat your beans at every meal.
There are many variations of the song and kids and dad’s alike have been singing it for years. There is some truth to the song but that doesn’t stop anyone from eating beans. They are just good food and everyone loves baked beans.
My go-to baked bean recipes are family recipes but, I am always on the lookout for new recipes that are a little bit different. That is where this “Boston” Baked Bean recipe comes in. The recipe has been featured in Allrecipes Magazine and has tons of great reviews on Allrecipes so I figured I should try the recipe out with my favorite taste testers, my family.
The recipe has the components of the classic baked beans recipes that I know and love. Navy or Great Northern Beans, Bacon, Ketchup, Mustard, and Brown Sugar were all there but so was Molasses and Worcestershire Sauce. The recipe was also very easy to put together. How you decide to put the final product together, is up to you.
There are those who have the time and make the recipe as written starting with dried beans. This is how I usually make baked beans. Sometimes though you forget to soak your beans overnight or are short on time and that is when canned beans come in to save the day. I used canned beans and skipped a couple steps. Since I was skipping the baking with onions and bacon step I fried up my bacon and sauteed my onions until translucent and a bit golden. I then followed the recipe starting at the fourth step.
The end result was a casserole of beautiful, baked beans that my family loved. I even repeatedly heard that they were better than those canned baked beans my oldest son had a bit of an addiction to. The difference being my golden retriever will let me share the recipe because good recipes are meant to be shared.
Are baked beans on your summertime get together menu? Try this recipe and let your taste buds smile!
- 2 cups navy beans
- ½ pound bacon
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- Soak beans overnight in cold water. Simmer the beans in the same water until tender, approximately 1 to 2 hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Arrange the beans in a 2 quart bean pot or casserole dish by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with bacon and onion.
- In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
- Bake for 3 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender. Remove the lid about halfway through cooking, and add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry.
Recipe is Boston Baked Beans from Allrecipes.