Cooking web notes

Baked Beans, My Way

 

Bubba, 1971, almost 3 years old

I haven’t met a bean I didn’t like!  Baked beans is everyday food for every man, woman and child and depending upon where you are from, there are probably as many versions as there are people. 

Way down Texas way, they are “cowboy beans” with ground beef and plenty of ketchup.  In the Boston area, they are sweetened with molasses, while in New England they are loaded with maple syrup.  Down south, pork is the star in a baked bean dish, out Washington way:  they add bacon and apples to their baked beans.  I have no idea where my mine fit in, maybe a little of all; I just know they are delicious and so does Bubba (Bill, Jr.!)  They are his favorite and mine also. 

This baked bean dish is filled with lots of crumbled bacon, and a sauce of brown sugar, molasses and vinegar with a little dry mustard for a tang.  They are not spicy and not overly sweet, they just have a pleasant taste.  I used to make baked beans with a recipe that required soaking the beans over-night.  It was good but, this is so much easier using the canned beans; no one would know the difference!  They are delicious!

Baked Beans

½ pound bacon, fried and crumbled

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon dry mustard

½ cup molasses

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 medium onion, chopped

4 (16-oounce) cans pork and beans

Fry bacon and reserve 2 tablespoons drippings

Pour beans into a large bowl.

Add ½ of the crumbled bacon and the bacon drippings.

Add the remaining ingredients, one by one, stirring well after each addition.

Pour into a bean pot or casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 3 hours or until done.  It will be thickened and bubbly.

Yummy!

Now, tell me!  What do you think makes the perfect baked bean dish?  How do you or someone in your family, or a friend make them?  I would love to hear!

This entry was posted on Monday, October 24, 2011 at 6:43 AM and is filed under Bacon, Baked beans, Beans, Side Dish. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response.