Baked beans has been something I’ve been trying to get right for years. I have to have given it a go 10 times now over the years and never quite been satisfied with the results. I’ve long enjoyed eating baked beans, but they are definitely something that can be hit or miss when getting them at a restaurant. Personally I like a nice sweet flavour, with maybe a very subtle bite to it. Well I believe that I have finally hit paydirt with my recipe.
For the longest time I would make the mistake of soaking the beans and then trying to cook them in a crockpot. Often I would end up with beans that would still have a little bit of hardness in the middle of the bean, instead of that perfect soft bean you’d expect. It would just take way too long to cook the bean all the way through, especially if you were trying to hit a deadline for a meal.
Awesomely Delicious Baked Beans
- 2 cups dry Navy Beans
- 1 cup dry Kidney Beans
- 2 cups dry Black Eyed Peas
- 1 500g package of bacon
- 3 tbsp margarine
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 Cups water
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1tsp cayenne pepper
- 2tsp paprika
Start the night before you intend to cook the beans by combining all the beans in a large bowl and filling the bowl with water. Make sure to plenty of water as the beans will absorb the vast majority of it. The next day drain and rinse the beans. Fill a pot with water, add the beans and bring to a boil. Once at a boil turn the element down to medium and let simmer for 30-40 minutes until the beans are tender. Once that’s done, drain the beans again, then put into a 6 quart crockpot.
For the bacon I divided the pack in half and prepped the bacon 2 ways, if you choose to do it this way, it’s really up to you. First I cooked half the bacon to what I would call rare, as it wasn’t really browned at all. I then sliced it up and put it in the crockpot. I figured this would allow the bacon to cook and impart it’s flavour into the beans while slow cooking. I then cooked the second half to crispy and cut it down to a crumble. Put this bacon in the fridge for later.
Dice the tomato and add the rest of the ingredients. Turn the crockpot on low and let cook for 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally. About 2 hours before they are done add the crumbled bacon from earlier.