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    Home » Recipes » Sides

    June 24, 2019

    Best Ever Baked Beans

    4178 shares
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    Best Ever Baked Beans are meaty, perfectly sweet and 100% delicious! Try these and I can (almost) guarantee they'll be the last bean recipe you will ever make!

    Jump to Recipe
    Scoop of meaty baked beans

    Baked beans.  You either love ‘em or you hate ‘em.  I’m 100% on team “Love ‘em!” 

    When I was a little tyke, Mom always bought Van Camps.  Then I remember when Dad decided he didn’t love Van Camps, so we switched to Bush's.  Also delish.  Now these simple canned baked beans will do the trick and they’re probably what we had 75% of the time. 

    They were quick, convenient and went perfectly with Tuna Noodle Casserole.  (Is it normal to have baked beans with Tuna Noodle Casserole?  That was as normal as burgers and fries in our house!)

    Where did this recipe come from anyway??

    Like I said, canned baked beans are fine. However, there is no can of beans that will even begin to compare to my Aunt Teresa’s!  Her beans, you guys, ohhhhhh my word!!  They’re meaty, they’re slightly sweet, slightly smoky (thanks to the bacon!) and they’re just downright delicious! 

    These meaty baked beans are a little more work than just cranking open a can, but they’re worth every second. 

    These Best Ever Baked Beans are almost guaranteed to make an appearance at every gathering for my mom’s side of the family.  Like if there’s a family barbeque and the beans aren’t on the counter, we better make sure Teresa’s feeling alright. 😉

    Toddler trying baked beans
    Little Miss just couldn't wait to dive on in! 🙂

    I got to thinking one day…why are beans such a hot commodity during summer barbeques and events?  Well, I’m assuming there are two main reasons.  1. They’re just so good with anything on the grill!  And 2. You can keep them warm in a slow cooker which means no hot oven or stovetop when company arrives!

    Iowa summers can be roasty toasty, especially when accompanied by high humidity.  My permed hair made the humidty verrry apparent when I was little. Haha!  But even if the humidity is high and you’re in with the air conditioning, you don’t want the oven or stovetop on to warm things up.  That’s the beauty of a slow cooker and thus the beauty of beans. 

    You can prep these beans a few days ahead of time and warm them up before company arrives in the slow cooker.  When the company arrives, you’ll be calm, “cool,” and collected because the rest of the meal will be a breeze (and won’t heat up the house)!

    How to make the Best Ever Baked Beans

    Though there's a little more work to put these together (thanks to the ground beef and bacon), I promise that it's worth it!!

    Once you've got the ground beef and bacon cooked, it's super easy. You add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker or baking dish and cook! The recipe card below shows you all of the different options for ways to cook and for how long.

    Scoop of baked beans

    What do baked beans go with?

    Baked beans go with so many meals. They're especially good with sandwiches and grilled meats - burgers, brats, pork chops, chicken, nearly anything!

    What makes the best baked beans?

    Texture and flavor! One thing I love about these beans is the texture of the soft beans, the meaty ground beef and the crisp bacon pieces. And of course, the flavor is important!

    The bacon brings a lovely smokiness to the beans and the brown sugar gives it a richer flavor. Simple canned baked beans can be alright, but these blow any can of beans out of the water!!

    How do you make baked beans from scratch?

    I think the better way to put this question is "what's the best way to doctor up a can of baked beans?" I like to start by cooking a pound of ground beef and 8 slices of bacon. Once the meat is ready, I combine the beans, onion, sugars, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, beef and bacon in the vessel they'll be cooked in.

    You can cook them in either a baking dish, a slow cooker or a large saucepan. Cook until the beans are nice and hot, the sugars have dissolved and the onions are nice and soft. Yum!

    Can I cook baked beans in the slow cooker?

    Yes!! The many ways to cook these beans is one of the things I love about this recipe. The slow cooker is one of those ways. Although every slow cooker is different, it will take most a couple hours. I'd recommend cooking them on high for an hour (stirring occasionally) and then letting them cook on low an additional 2-3 hours.

    These baked beans are perfect for any potluck or cookout! Need more ideas? Here are a couple more of my favorites!
    Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
    Butterscotch Brickle Bars
    Mexican Street Corn Salad

    Best Ever Baked Beans

    Best Ever Baked Beans

    kelsey
    These doctored-up baked beans are meaty, slightly smoky, perfectly sweet and all around delicious!
    4.88 from 8 votes
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    Prevent your screen from going to sleep.
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 18 ½ c servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 8 slices bacon
    • One 28 ounce can pork and beans drained
    • One 8 ounce can homestyle pork and beans
    • 1 cup chopped onion
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup brown sugar
    • 1 cup ketchup
    • 1 teaspoon mustard
    • 1 tablespoon vinegar

    Instructions
     

    • Brown the ground beef, drain and set aside.
    • Cook the bacon until crispy in the oven or in a skillet. Let cool then crumble or chop into small pieces.
    • In a large mixing bowl (or in the slow cooker), combine the beans, ground beef, bacon, onions, sugar, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard and vinegar.
    • Cook the beans:
      In a slow cooker on high for 1 hour (stirring occasionally) or low for 2-3 hours OR
      In a saucepan on medium-low heat for 30 minutes (stirring occasionally) OR
      In a baking dish in a 350°F oven for 1 hour

    Video

    https://dancearoundthekitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Baked-Beans.mp4

    Notes

    Leftover beans can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.  Enjoy cold or reheat in the microwave or oven.
    Tried this recipe?Follow me at @dancearoundthekitchen.kelsey and let me know how you liked it!

    More Sides

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    about kelsey

    About Kelsey

    Combining my love for food and family is a pretty easy calculation. Almost all family gatherings include food… After all, a party without cake is just a meeting right? Read more...

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Mary says

      June 30, 2019 at 9:15 pm

      Sounds so good. I am a little confused about the homestyle pork & beans. Are you referring to canned homestyle baked beans or regular pork & beans?

      Reply
      • Kelsey says

        June 30, 2019 at 9:20 pm

        Hi Mary - Good question!! "Homestyle" is the variety of canned baked beans. So you'll use a big can of the "pork & beans" variety and a small can of the "homestyle." If you can't find the homestyle variety, just get an 8 oz can of the pork & beans. Therefore you'd use a 28 oz can of the pork & beans which you will drain AND an 8 oz can of pork & beans that you will not drain. Does that make sense?

        I hope you LOVE these beans!!
        -Kelsey

        Reply
        • Mary says

          July 01, 2019 at 10:03 pm

          Makes perfect sense. Thank you so much!

          Reply
      • Nicole says

        November 13, 2021 at 9:29 am

        Hello I used this recipe somewhere else and all I could taste was ketchup and my pallet couldn’t get over that they were pork n beans. Did I do something wrong? I taste them before I cooked them. Will that ketchup and pork n bean taste go away after I cook them? I love baked beans me

        Reply
    2. Toni L Wetter says

      July 02, 2019 at 10:46 am

      5 stars
      I make my baked beans almost the same as this but don't use the ground beef. What do you taste with the ground beef?

      Reply
      • Kelsey says

        July 02, 2019 at 12:25 pm

        Hi Toni! I really like the texture the ground beef adds as I think it gives it a heartier feel. Soooo tasty!

        Reply
    3. Cindy Dalton says

      July 05, 2019 at 11:26 am

      If you take out regular sugar and brown sugar
      Substitute. Dark Molasses. Mix with the mustard,, ketchup, ,, molasses. Yummy add a little liquid. Smoke. Takes it over the top. Mine are called Mom's Beans.
      Always leave with empty pans. Try it it won't disappoint.

      Reply
      • Patrice says

        August 18, 2021 at 11:35 am

        How much molasses do you use? Do you still include the vinegar?

        Reply
      • Barbara J West says

        January 01, 2022 at 2:39 pm

        I realize your post was 2019 but can you add the amount of substitutions you used, i.e molasses. Thank you. This recipe looks so close to my old recipe i had that i lost but loved!!

        Reply
    4. stacey says

      July 06, 2019 at 12:30 pm

      what kind of vinegar?

      Reply
      • Kelsey says

        July 07, 2019 at 9:34 pm

        Hi Stacey! I always use plain vinegar, but apple cider vinegar would work fine too!

        Reply
    5. Sandra says

      March 15, 2020 at 10:57 am

      5 stars
      I’m all for doctoring up an already good thing! We served this with grilled chicken and we were all stuffed! this recipe is a keeper. Bookmarked!

      Reply
      • Kelsey says

        March 15, 2020 at 4:37 pm

        So happy to hear that!! We just love these baked beans - glad you all did too! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Deb Clark says

      March 16, 2020 at 7:56 am

      5 stars
      Aunt Teresa knows her way around beans - these are a meal all by themselves! Delicious recipe year round!

      Reply
    7. MICHAELA KENKEL says

      March 16, 2020 at 10:08 am

      5 stars
      We were able to do a little grilling this last week - and I tried these. Holy smokes!! They really WERE the BEST ever beans!

      Reply
    8. Julie Menghini says

      March 17, 2020 at 8:13 pm

      5 stars
      Little miss is just the sweetest ever and our family just loved these beans! I may never try cooking them any other way!

      Reply
    9. Nikki says

      March 19, 2020 at 9:33 am

      5 stars
      These are one of my husband's favorites! The weather is perfect for grilling right now and these are the perfect side!

      Reply
    10. Upplady.Com says

      May 11, 2020 at 4:08 am

      If you ve never jazzed up beans with all the sweet, tanginess of molasses, ketchup, and mustard, have you really been living? THESE are the baked beans that we ve been waiting for all our lives.

      Reply
    11. Denise says

      June 15, 2021 at 3:01 pm

      Why must 8oz can of pork and beans be drained?

      Reply
      • Kelsey says

        June 15, 2021 at 4:20 pm

        Hi Denise! I like to drain them as I prefer my beans thick. However, you could certainly include the juices if you wish! 🙂

        Reply
    12. Denise says

      June 15, 2021 at 3:05 pm

      Sorry, had another question: if i do not use hamburger b/c of picky eaters...do i need to add more cans of beans to compensate?

      Reply
      • Kelsey says

        June 15, 2021 at 4:22 pm

        I would swap the 8 oz can of homestyle pork and beans for a 28 oz can. That'll help compensate for the hamburger not being in there!! I hope you enjoy! 🙂 -Kelsey

        Reply
    13. Sarah says

      June 24, 2021 at 8:51 am

      5 stars
      I lessened the sugar a bit but my supper club loved these beans! The family got the leftovers and it went over just as well.

      Reply
      • Kelsey says

        June 25, 2021 at 2:35 pm

        Glad to hear, Sarah!!! Thanks so much for the review! -Kelsey

        Reply
    14. Jane says

      September 14, 2021 at 1:14 pm

      4 stars
      I just couldn’t bring myself to add a cup of white sugar in addition to the cup of brown sugar. It was plenty sweet without. In fact, next time I may not even add a whole cup of brown sugar. Other than that, we really liked it.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Kelsey! I am a wife, mother and BFFs with my KitchenAid mixer, happy to bring you easy meals and decadent desserts! Welcome to my blog!

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