In the realm of New England culinary traditions, there's hardly a dish as comforting and nostalgic as a pot of authentic old fashioned baked beans. This hearty and flavorful one-pot meal has been a staple in New England kitchens for centuries, passed down from generation to generation. With its combination of savory beans, sweet molasses, and smoky bacon, it's a dish that evokes memories of family gatherings around a warm hearth on a cold winter's day. If you're looking to create this classic dish in your own kitchen, there are a few key factors to consider in order to achieve the perfect balance of flavors and textures. This article will guide you through the process, providing a comprehensive recipe and helpful tips to ensure your baked beans come out bursting with flavor and bringing back memories of simpler times.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
NEW ENGLAND BAKED BEANS
For a potluck or picnic, you can't beat this classic side that starts with a pound of dried beans. Molasses and maple syrup give it a slight sweetness. -Pat Medeiros, Tiverton, Rhode Island
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Side Dishes
Time 4h
Yield 12 servings (2/3 cup each).
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Sort beans and rinse with cold water. Place beans in a Dutch oven; add enough water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour or until beans are softened., Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Return beans to Dutch oven; add 6 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are almost tender., In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Saute onions in drippings until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, syrup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper., Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid; place in an ungreased 3-qt. baking dish. Stir in onion mixture and bacon. Cover and bake at 300° for 2-1/2 hours or until beans are tender and reach desired consistency, stirring every 30 minutes. Add reserved cooking liquid as needed.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 385 calories, Fat 5g fat (2g saturated fat), Cholesterol 7mg cholesterol, Sodium 810mg sodium, Carbohydrate 77g carbohydrate (50g sugars, Fiber 8g fiber), Protein 11g protein.
OLD-FASHIONED BAKED BEANS
These hearty beans are a super side dish for a casual meal. The ingredients blend perfectly for a wonderful from-scratch taste. The old-fashioned flavor will have people standing in line for more. -Jesse & Anne Foust, Bluefield, West Virginia
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Side Dishes
Time 4h50m
Yield 16 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, bring beans, salt and 2 qt. water to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; let stand for 1 hour. Drain beans and discard liquid. Return beans to pan. Cover with remaining water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until beans are tender. Drain, reserving liquid. In a greased 2-1/2 qt. baking dish, combine beans, 1 cup liquid, onion, molasses, bacon, brown sugar, mustard and pepper. Cover and bake at 325° for 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until beans are as thick as desired thickness, stirring occasionally. Add more of the reserved cooking liquid if needed.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 154 calories, Fat 2g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 2mg cholesterol, Sodium 269mg sodium, Carbohydrate 29g carbohydrate (12g sugars, Fiber 7g fiber), Protein 7g protein.
TRADITIONAL NEW ENGLAND BAKED BEANS
Traditional New England baked beans, aka Boston Baked Beans, is a meal in of itself. This from scratch recipe for baked beans is one that delivers.
Provided by Suzan Ferreira
Categories Recipes
Time 12h
Yield 20
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Place dry beans in a pan and cover with water. Bring to boil and cook until swollen and floating. Add the remainder of ingredients and stir to combine well. Cook on Medium heat for 4 hours. Reduce heat to Low-Medium and cook for an additional 8 hours or until desired tenderness is achieved.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 191, Fat 7 grams
NEW ENGLAND BAKED BEANS
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories side-dish
Time 12h55m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Check the beans for any stones or dirt and discard. Put the beans in a large bowl; cover with cold water by about 3 inches. Cover, and set aside in a cool spot or the refrigerator to soak for 6 hours or overnight.
- Drain the beans. Put the beans in a large saucepan with 5 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat so the beans simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Drain, but reserve the cooking water.
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- Put the beans in a 2 to 2 1/2-quart ceramic bean pot or covered casserole with the salt pork and the onion. In a medium bowl combine the molasses, mustard, and salt with 2 cups of the cooking liquid and pour over the beans. (If the beans are not covered by the liquid add more.) Cover the pot, and bake for 3 hours. Check the beans periodically to make sure they are covered with liquid and if needed add more of the reserved cooking liquid. Gently stir in the tomatoes and vinegar, taking care not to break up the beans, continue to bake for 3 more hours. Remove from the oven and stir in the rum, if desired. Serve.
OLD-FASHIONED BAKED BEANS
We're especially fond of this sweet-and-smoky picnic favorite. And it's easy to make, too! Only 20 minutes of prep time needed.
Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Side Dish
Time 6h35m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Heat 10 cups water and the beans to boiling in ovenproof Dutch oven. Boil uncovered 2 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients except 3 cups water.
- Cover and bake 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in 3 cups water. Bake uncovered 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and desired consistency.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 200, Carbohydrate 42 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Fiber 6 g, Protein 10 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 300 mg
BOSTON BAKED BEANS
A wonderful old-fashioned baked bean flavor. This recipe has served by family for 29 years and originally came from my mother-in-law. It tastes great served with fresh cornbread or biscuits and honey. Although you need to allow time for soaking and simmering the beans, this recipe is still quite easy.
Provided by AJRHODES3
Categories Side Dish Beans and Peas Baked Bean Recipes
Time 5h
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- 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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 382.2 calories, Carbohydrate 63.1 g, Cholesterol 13.6 mg, Fat 6.3 g, Fiber 17.3 g, Protein 20.7 g, SaturatedFat 1.8 g, Sodium 1320.3 mg, Sugar 19.7 g
MOM'S NEW ENGLAND BAKED BEANS
This recipe has become so famous at all of my family's gatherings that mom had to get more bean pots! She's made these beans for as long as I can remember. There are never any leftovers, no matter how many batches she makes. Note: Cooking time does not include time needed to soak beans.
Provided by L-Burden
Categories Beans
Time 5h
Yield 6-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Soak beans in a pan of water overnight then drain before cooking.
- Boil the soaked beans until the skins crack when you blow on them. (With a spoon, lift some out of the boiling water and blow on them. If the skins crackle, they are done.) This step is important because the beans don't soften up any more while baking, and you don't want them to be too hard.
- Drain the beans and place them in your bean pot (any ceramic piece will do as long as it has a lid).
- Add uncooked bacon and chopped onion.
- In a sauce pan, bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil.
- Once everything is melted and combined, pour the mixture over the beans in the pot.
- Make sure the liquid covers the beans. If not, then add more water.
- Bake in covered pot at 250 degrees for about 4 hours. Check periodically to make sure the liquid level does not get too low. They will thicken as they bake, but you should have a little juice so they are not too dry.
- The beans will be dark brown, and thick when they are done.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 583.9, Fat 10, SaturatedFat 3, Cholesterol 12.8, Sodium 792.8, Carbohydrate 107.8, Fiber 18.8, Sugar 59.4, Protein 19.8
OLD FASHIONED BAKED BEANS
This one is great for impressing non-cookers because it is really easy to make.
Provided by SNOWPRINCESS8301
Categories Side Dish Beans and Peas Baked Bean Recipes
Time 6h35m
Yield 10
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Bring 10 cups water and navy beans to a boil in a large pot; cook at a boil for 2 minutes. Stir bacon, onion, brown sugar, molasses, and salt into the water.
- Carefully pour the mixture into a slow cooker.
- Cook on High, stirring occasionally, for 4 hours.
- Stir 3 cups water into the mixture. Continue cooking until beans are tender, about 2 hours 15 minutes more.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 242.1 calories, Carbohydrate 42.7 g, Cholesterol 8 mg, Fat 3.7 g, Fiber 10.2 g, Protein 10.7 g, SaturatedFat 1.1 g, Sodium 416.9 mg, Sugar 15.9 g
CHEF JOHN'S BOSTON BAKED BEANS
This is a great side dish with anything!
Provided by Chef John
Categories Side Dish Beans and Peas Baked Bean Recipes
Time 10h45m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Soak navy beans overnight in a large bowl with enough water by several inches. Drain and place beans into a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with 6 cups water, baking soda, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, saving bean-cooking liquid.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
- Transfer beans into clean Dutch oven and stir bacon, onion, molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper into beans. Pour enough of the hot reserved bean liquid in to cover beans; stir.
- Cover Dutch oven and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Check liquid level and add more of the reserved bean liquid to bring liquid up to cover beans. Return to oven and continue baking until beans are tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed, about 1 hour.
- Raise oven heat to 350; bake beans uncovered in oven until top develops a flavorful crust, 20 to 30 more minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 410.6 calories, Carbohydrate 72.5 g, Cholesterol 10.1 mg, Fat 5.2 g, Fiber 19.2 g, Protein 20.9 g, SaturatedFat 1.4 g, Sodium 860.5 mg, Sugar 23.5 g
Tips:
- Use dried beans: Dried beans are more flavorful and economical than canned beans. Be sure to soak them overnight before cooking.
- Cook the beans with salt pork: Salt pork adds a delicious smoky flavor to the beans. If you don't have salt pork, you can substitute bacon or ham.
- Use a variety of beans: For a more complex flavor, use a variety of beans, such as navy beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans.
- Add vegetables and herbs: Vegetables and herbs add flavor and nutrition to the beans. Try adding onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme.
- Simmer the beans for at least 2 hours: The longer the beans simmer, the more flavorful they will be. Be sure to keep an eye on the beans and add water as needed.
- Serve the beans with cornbread or crackers: Cornbread or crackers are the perfect accompaniment to baked beans.
Conclusion:
Old-fashioned New England baked beans are a classic comfort food that is easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser. With their smoky flavor, hearty texture, and variety of beans and vegetables, these beans are sure to become a favorite in your home. So next time you're looking for a delicious and satisfying meal, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!
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