Here’s a thought that might have just popped into you mind re: baked beans – You know they come in a can right?
YES I DO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
My most embarrassing dinner that I enjoy on the regular and that I also swore I’d never ever tell a soul about is (here I go breaking my rule) a can of baked beans and… nothing more. The worst part is that I don’t even care if the beans are hot. Like… I maybe sometimes eat them straight out of the can like an old timey western dude sitting around a campfire, spitting at mosquitos and eatin’ beans.
That can’t be right, but I’m going to let it stand.
Can I preach the gospel of making beans from scratch? It’s a meditation on softening and absorbing. From hard dried beans to totally tender and flavorful. And if we’ re going to do all the work of softening our beans, why not surround them in just about every sweet and savory flavor our condiment drawer has to offer? Plus root beer.
Follow me.
Here’s what you’ll need to make your bean dreams come true. And no, can opener is not on the list.
• I started these beans from dried which makes them a little more labor intensive (there’s soaking and a long slow cook).
• 4 thick slices of bacon cooked to crisp, fat rendered and left in the pan.
• onions and green bell pepper and garlic too.
• and for our baked bean sauce, a mixture of sweet and savory ingredients including but not limited to: ketchup, barbecue sauce, maple syrup, molasses, worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, brown sugar, chili powder and ROOT BEER.
First we’ll cook the onion, bell pepper, and garlic down in the bacon fat rendered from crisping up those lovely slices.
Cooked until the onions are just translucent and the peppers look like they’ve touched some heat and the garlic is fragrant and amiable – about five good minutes.
While the vegetables cook, we’ll chop the bacon and try not to snack on all of it before it hits the beans.
The onions, bell pepper, garlic and bacon will all hang out together to the side while we hit up the next step in bean-work: the sauce.
The sauce starts with: ketchup, barbecue sauce, and maple syrup.
Now brace yourself while you add the rest of the condiment shelf to this mixture starting with dijon mustard.
Say yes to worcestershire, brown sugar, molasses, and why not a little chili powder too.
And our secret ingredient (whose name is in the title of the recipe): Root Beer! Adding root beer is akin to adding a whole other world of spice flavor. Think: vanilla, nutmeg, licorice, and or course sarsaparilla root (the most distinguishing flavor of root beer and also the most fun to say).
We’ll use one cup in our beans and the flavor will bake down and concentrate with the beans, complimenting but not overpowering.
Let’s get ready for everything to come together!
Bacon meets onions and peppers.
I’ve really got soooooome nerve simmering a pot of brown liquids while wearing a white skirt.
Living on the edge. Living with really good stain remover in my laundry closet.
Essentially our big ol’ oven proof pots (whether they’re cast iron or not) will serve as slow cooking Dutch(type) Ovens when they’re lidded and in the oven at a low temperature for so long.
I cook the beans both covered (to soften those suckers) and uncovered (to thicken the sauce) in a rotation that’s both intentional and experimental. The intention over the course of several hours in the oven is to soften the beans to tender and amiable and to thicken the sauce to coat the beans.
If anytime along the way the sauce becomes too thick and the beans still have a little bite, add a bit of chicken stock or water to loosen the mixture to continue cooking.
It’s bean-work.
Tender and so loaded with flavor. It’s like we could back this mixture into cans, gather round the fire, and spit at the mosquitos like the old timers do. This is the kind of pot you bring to a summer barbecue potluck and you sit back and wait and see who approaches the beans with appreciation. Those are your people. Take note.
Photos with my friend: Jon Melendez.
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Root Beer Baked Beans
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
- Total Time: 0 hours
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried navy beans
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or water (plus more if the sauce feels dry)
- 4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked to crisp and coarsely chopped
- 1 small onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 green bell pepper (cored and diced)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup good-quality root beer
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup bbq sauce
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Place navy beans in a large pot or bowl and cover with water. Enough water that covers about 3-inches over the beans. Allow to soak overnight then drain. Alternately, if you don’t have time, place beans in a large pot and cover the beans with several inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water boils, remove from heat and allow the beans to soak for 1 hour then drain.
- Heat a large, oven-safe pot over medium heat. Add soaked and drained beans and 6 cups of broth or water. Bring to a simmer and simmer uncovered for 1 hour.
- In a separate saucepan, over medium heat cook bacon slices until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp.
- Remove from the pan (leaving the fat in the pan), and place on a plate and set aside.
- Add the onions, bell pepper, and garlic to the pot with the bacon fat. Cook until softened and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- While the beans simmer and the bacon and onions cook, stir together the bean sauce. In a medium bowl whisk together root beer, ketchup, bbq sauce, brown sugar, maple syrup, molasses, dijon, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the large saucepan combine simmered beans and their liquid, cooked onion mixture, the chopped bacon, and sauce.
- Cover the pot with an oven-safe lid and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F, uncover and return to the oven and cook for 1 hour. Replace the lid reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees F and cook for an additional 2 hours or until the beans are cooked through. Add more salt or pepper to taste. Add more chicken stock or water to thin the mixture if it reduces too much. Enjoy warm and summer long!
36 Responses
How many does this recipe serve? Having a party for about 15 and wondering if I need to double. thanks
This was a great recipe the last time I tried it. Since fall is upon us the perfect thing to make with some pork chops or ham on the side!
I never thought of making baked beans from scratch, but certainly will give a try, your recipe sound yummy. I,ll cook it up for a potluck and use my co-workers as tasting guinea pigs. For Thanksgiving family dinner I was always responsible for bringing the beans, for convenience I used the canned beans, maybe that’s why we always had leftover beans!
I am one of the laziest cooks known to man, but I am down for this. I looove a great can of baked beans, but now that I live in the UK, it’s just not the same. I long for the deep, smoky, sweet flavor that Heinz beans just can’t give you, even at breakfast. I might have to go to a specialty store to find root beer, but I’m definitely trying this recipe. Plus it’s always cold here, so cooking something for ages is no big deal. Thanks for another brilliant recipe.
I remember as a kid eating cold baked beans on rye bread with raw onions! Had totally forgotten about that.
I made homemade baked beans in the InstantPot for the 4th and they were so, so good. Now I’m going to try to incorporate root beer into that recipe! Homemade beans are totally worth the extra time, be it this method or another one :)
I often have beans on toast with a fried egg for dinner! These look lovely although I’m not sure I can find root beer in France… any other suggestions?
I love Abita Root Beer!!! It’s my family’s favorite. It’s really great in a marinade for ribs!! The kids like it with homemade ice cream, though.
Whaaaaat! I love this so much! Canned beans are my secret food too! My sister always calls me out on it but they’re so comforting and reliable. And root bear? Ugh, I love it. Would never have thought to mix the two but it makes so much sense now.
When I was super sick my first trimester, baked beans or corn straight from the can were one of the few non-toast foods I happily consumed. No shame in it. This recipe, though, this deserves an occasion! Like… Saturday night.
I made baked beans yesterday and now I am kicking myself that I did not look here first (sigh). I guess we will be having Rootbeer Baked Beans on Sunday. Thanks Joy for another great looking recipe!
I have never tried making home made baked beans but they truly are a summer staple–something perfect for campsites or backyard bonfires. These look so delicious and MUST be better than the can, I am sure!
Ok…so the beans are in the oven….and I followed the directions but you never mentioned the bacon sitting on the plate….is it a garnish or does it go through the baking? I have my fingers crossed that it goes through the baking….
Oh I’m sorry that wasn’t super clean – I amended the recipe but YES you got it right! Crisp bacon goes in the beans!
The bacon and all other ingredients are combined in step 8, just before going in oven. Really great beans!
I love root beer and I love baked beans. This recipe definitely caught my eye. I hope you drank the rest of that bottle while you were doing all that stirring, Joy! Or better yet, poured it on top of a scoop of ice cream. Woohoo for July!!!
Oh I definitely did!
These look amazing and will be the next dish I share with a little crowd. And, I eat Van Camp’s (only Van Camp’s, ever; they are the beans of my childhood) cold out of a can. No shame.
Due to food allergies, l can’t eat it pork. Can l use something else in place of ??
You can just leave it out and use olive or canola oil to cook the onions and peppers!
You need to increase the bacon to 5 slices. Then you have 2 to snack on while adding 3 to the beans, lol.
Lol, embrace your old timey Western dude! Take peace in knowing you’d fit right in by a chuck wagon if the occasion ever called for it :) Great step by step instructions — last time (I mean the only time) I tried making them from scratch I served half cooked, kinda crunchy beans at a cookout and haven’t tried since. So excited to have another go!
They really do take a long time in the oven. They have to break on down. I feel you!
So glad I found you today Joy. I love baked beans and I love your comments.
Going to try this as my husband and I love baked beans so much. We grew up on
them, This sounds so good. Thanks!
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
Likely though I did not test this recipe in a slow cooker so I don’t have specifics to guide you.
You might lose the yummy caramelization.
I’ve got to try this one, sounds fantastic! and just at the right time…
Yes, it can be cooked in a slow cooker. Brown all items on a stove before combining in the slow cooker! Time depends on heat setting.
Sarsaparilla?? Oh my gosh, I’ve been saying it wrong (i.e. sasparilla) all my 40-yo life.
I always thought my mom’s homemade baked beans were the best. And then I learned they started with canned ones and she just adds all the goodies! No shame!! Easy and wonderful!
I feel like there’s no wrong way to baked bean.
This looks great, but I really need to know what your magic stain remover is!
OXY stain remover is the BEST!.
That’s the one!
This looks delicious! I will try as soon as possible! Thank you so much!