Smoky Baked Beans
The perfect side dish for any summer cookout, these Smoky Baked Beans bring all the good flavor you’d expect! They are rich in molasses and bacon, flavored with onion and dry mustard, and a breeze to make!
Every barbecue or picnic needs a side of baked beans, so be sure to give these a try!
If you go to the canned beans section of the grocery store, there is a dizzying number of baked bean options. In this recipe, I have found that beans with pork (usually bacon) are the most flavorful. I have also found that you can combine beans with tomato sauce along with the Pork and Beans for a delicious end result. Really, you can use most combinations!
Make an “x” in the top of the onion (not cutting all of the way through) and spread it open a bit. Place it in the middle of the serving dish that has been filled with the beans, molasses, mustard, vinegar and ketchup.
Press the onion into the mixture, sprinkle the top with chopped bacon and pop it into a preheated oven.
By the way, if you like slivered onions running through the beans, go ahead and cut the onion into thin wedges, scatter it throughout the bean mixture and then just leave it in the finished baked bean dish.
Bake it for an hour and 15 minutes, increase the heat and remove the onion (or don’t remove the onions if they are slivered) and pop it back in the oven for another 15 minutes. You want the beans to be nicely browned and syrupy on top.
Give them a stir and serve them nice and hot!
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Smoky Baked Beans
Makes: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour & 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 56-60 ounce canned Pork and Beans, four 14- or 15-ounce cans (see Chef’s Notes)
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 1 tsp dry mustard, or 1 tbsp yellow prepared mustard
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 medium onion, peeled (see Chef’s Notes)
- 5-6 slices bacon, uncooked, diced
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, combine the canned beans, molasses, mustard, vinegar and ketchup. Stir to combine well, then pour into an oven-safe casserole dish (about 2.5 quarts).
Peel the whole onion, then using a sharp knife, cut an “X” into it, from the topping, cutting down about 3/4 of the way into the onion. Spread the onion out a bit, then place into the centre of the bean mixture. Scatted the diced bacon evenly over the top.
Bake uncovered, at 350°F for 1 hour & 15 minutes. Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 400°F. Remove the onion and discard. Stir the beans well. Return to 400°F oven for 10-15 minutes more, or until the beans are nicely browned and syrupy on top.
Chef’s Notes:
Pork and Beans in Tomato Sauce is probably the best option, for a classic baked bean flavor. Using Pork and Beans with Molasses will produce a deep browned, molasses-forward pot of beans. A nice option to try is to use 2 of each! Experiment to find which you prefer.
Instead of placing the whole onion in the centre of the beans, you can thinly slice it and stir it in with the bean mixture, if you prefer. The onion probably won’t break down completely during the cooking though, so you will have pieces of onion, along with the beans.
Recipe by Seasons and Suppers
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