How to Make Baked Beans

My husband describes these as "Deb's World Famous Baked Beans." Well, I have to admit -- they really ARE pretty doggone good. Even people who don't like baked beans LOVE these.Baked beans have often been referred to as "Nature's Superfood." While I would advise any diabetic to maintain a safe distance from this dish, it's worthy to note that baked beans are a great source for fiber and plant protein, and a good source for iron, folic acid, and lycopene.I had actually begun experimenting with this "recipe" some 30 or so years ago, and finally reached what I felt was perfect about 20 years later.The real "secret" is the manifestation of an old adage, "If a little is good, then a LOT must be great." Yes, that's it -- excess pays off in this case.But I think the best thing is the flexibility -- this recipe is very forgiving. There's nothing "precise" about it ... the "That looks about right" measuring method works just fine here.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Large skillet (I always use iron)
• Plate or platter
• Sheet of newspaper folded into fourths
• Large "lobster pot" -- (great for mixing everything up in, especially if you're as messy as I am)
• Vegetable grater
• Colander
• 11"x18" pan or casserole dish
• 1 pound of hickory smoked bacon
• 1 Spanish or white onion (the largest one you can find)
• 1 pound of dark brown sugar
• 2-3 Tablespoons of yellow mustard
• 2-3 Tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce
• 4-6 Tablespoons of bacon drippings (optional)
• 6 28-oz cans of your favorite name-brand baked beans -- Original Recipe (B&M is my choice)

Fry the Bacon ... Yes, and I Do Mean the ENTIRE Pound

1. 

   I have given "Bacon" its own Section because in my opinion, this may well be the most important ingredient -- and please don't be stingy -- use ALL of the bacon for this dish. However, it's perfectly all right if you "disappear" a few of the cooked strips while you're preparing everything else. That's why I always do this part first.I think that the hickory-smoked bacon gives this recipe the best flavor. Of course, you can use any flavor you prefer -- some folks are particularly fond of maple bacon for their beans.As far as the thickness of the meat is concerned, either thick-sliced or thin-sliced slabs are fine -- again, it's a matter of preference.What is NOT important is how well-done the bacon is cooked. If you like your bacon on the limp side, that's just fine. I happen to prefer crispier (not blackened) bacon, so I cook it a little longer. Either way, it flavors the beans just as well.Please note that I am asking you to PAN-fry the bacon, and NOT cook it in some other "greaseless" fashion -- such as baking or microwaving. (You'll see why in Step 4.) That's what the large skillet is for.

2. Pull a black-and-white sheet from an already-been-read newspaper, and fold it into fourths so that it more or less covers the plate or platter. (I have a phobia about what might be in colored inks ... but that's just me).

3. As the bacon browns to your satisfaction, remove it from the skillet and place it on the newspaper to drain a little. (I don't like using paper toweling, because I think it pulls too much of the flavorful drippings away from the draining bacon.)

4. Lots of you folks are going to cringe here -- and quite frankly, I don't blame you one bit. Unless you've spent the last 30 years in a cave, you are only too well aware of the health risks associated with animal fat, and avoid it like the plague. However, I submit this: A little bit of bacon fat now and then isn't going to harden my arteries any more than that quart of milk that I drink without fail on a daily basis.You guessed it: I'm going to direct you to reserve the drippings from in that skillet. Just set the skillet (with grease still in it) aside for now.

5. After the bacon cools enough to handle, break or cut it up into small pieces. Here's another place where precision is not important -- the 1/4 to 1/2 inch neighborhood is perfect.

Drain the Canned Beans

6. I have tried every single brand of baked beans that I could find over the years. (Although I do purchase lots of generic items, I am not impressed with canned baked beans that are not national brands.) I have always gone back to the B&M brand, and I like the "Original Recipe" for this dish.If you drain the excess fluid from the beans, your final product will not be overly "soupy".Place the colander into a large container. The idea here is to catch and reserve the liquid from the canned beans as you drain them in the colander.

7. Be sure to reserve and set aside the liquid that you have drained from the canned beans.

8. You can rinse the beans after you drain them if you want to, but that isn't really necessary.

Never Underestimate the Power of the Onion

9. 

   And yes -- I am serious about using the largest one that you can find. If you don't have a large onion, then use a couple of small ones. I like Spanish or white onions for this recipe because of the bold "onion-y" flavor that they deliver.Peel the onion(s).

10. I tend to be a little on the messy side -- and despise cleaning up any more than I absolutely have to. So I use a huge "lobster pot" when I grate vegetables. Besides, we're going to mix everything else up in it, too ... but if you are tidier than I am, any large vessel that will do nicely.Grate the onion right into the large pot or bowl, using the side of the grater with the large holes.Yes, I am serious about this because grating the onion rather than just dicing it spreads the savory essence throughout the entire dish. (And besides -- it's a lot faster and easier.)

11. If you feel that you absolutely MUST dice the onion, you will have to brown it. I used to do it this way -- browning the onion in the bacon grease and then draining it on newspaper -- until I discovered that grating the onion actually delivered what I consider to be superior results.

Now Let's Start Building This Masterpiece

12. Now is a pretty good time to turn the oven on and set it at 350 degrees. Although preheating isn't particularly critical, I do like to have it heated to the desired temperature when I bake.

13. Now you can dump that entire pound package of dark brown sugar into the pot with the grated onion in it. Be sure to break up any large lumps.

14. Add the yellow mustard. If you just can't stand NOT measuring ingredients, I'm guessing that about 2-3 Tablespoons would be about right. Otherwise, if it looks to be close to that amount, then it will be just fine.

15. Add the Worcestershire Sauce in the same manner.

16. Now add about 4-6 Tablespoons of the bacon drippings (I kid you NOT).

17. Now stir it all up, blending thoroughly. You are looking for the mixture to have a just barely liquid consistency -- kind of like cornbread batter or brownie batter. If it is too thick, just add some of the fluid that you drained from the canned beans by spoonfuls until you are satisfied with the texture.Remember that the brown sugar will melt during baking and add more liquid to the dish, which is why it's all right if the sauce mix is very thick.

18. Dump in all those canned beans, and all of the bacon pieces (whatever is left after you've finished snacking on the bacon strips). Stir it all up, mixing well. Now place your creation into the 11"x18" pan or casserole dish, and bake at 350 for around 30-45 minutes. That's just about when they will become bubbly. All done -- enjoy!

Tips & Warnings

• Don't over-cook -- bake until the mixture becomes bubbly. Remember that the beans are already cooked, and that you are basically just warming them through enough to flavor them.
• If you don't like the flatulence often associated with baked beans, you can always make them "poopless". You can place one end of a 6" length of string into the bean mixture with the other end hanging over the side of the pan. The poops will climb out of the pan by using that string.
• Caution: These things are addicting.

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