Baked Beans with Bacon

Easy homemade baked beans recipe using canned beans, with brown sugar and bacon on top, baked long and slow in the oven.  The quintessential summer BBQ side dish!

Let me start off by saying baked beans are my husband's all time favorite side dish, he'll even crumble potato chips on top if he can, or I let him!  I never make them from scratch but with summer grilling season upon us, I decided to dust off my super easy baked beans recipe.

I'd say these are semi-homemade, mostly from scratch except I use canned pork and beans as the base.  You know the ones I'm talking about.  Just need to doctor them up with a few ingredients and bake 'em.  Super easy.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PORK AND BEANS AND BAKED BEANS

HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY SIDE DISH

1. Start by dumping one can of pork and beans into bottom of a greased casserole.
2. Sprinkle with some chopped onion and then with brown sugar/dry mustard mixture.
3. Top with another can of pork and beans.  Sprinkle remaining brown sugar mixture, bacon pieces and catsup over top.  Bake long and slow in the oven, 2½ hours at 325º

No need to stir during baking, just let them do their thing.  The beans will thicken, bubble and brown and your kitchen will smell glorious.  I let them rest a bit and then stir to combine everything.  Delish.

RECIPE NOTES AND TIPS

• Start with canned pork and beans as your base, spooning off excess liquid at the top of the can.  That's just what I do, you don't need all that extra liquid.
• If you want to be adventurous, try using pork belly instead of bacon.  I have and love it!  Cubed sous vide pork belly I got at Costco, it was delicious and very similar to bacon, practically melts in your mouth!
• Don't rush things, let them cook for a long time in a slow oven.  Just leave them alone, they will do their thing.
• No need to stir during baking, let the bacon brown on top.  Stir to combine when done.
• Let them rest, thicken and cool down.  I actually like them best barely warm, room temp even.

Did I mention that Meathead puts crushed potato chips on his baked beans?  Yep, a childhood thing he's never outgrown and his six brothers still razz him about it.  Regardless, and yes, I think that's weird, these easy baked beans need to make an appearance more often in our house.  Yours, too!!  Enjoy, Kelly

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Baked Beans with Bacon

Easy homemade baked beans with bacon and brown sugar.

4.54 from 13 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 171kcal

Author: Kelly

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 (28-ounce) cans pork and beans spoon off excess liquid from top
• ▢ ½ medium sweet onion, roughly chopped
• ▢ ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dry mustard I like Colman's
• ▢ 6-8 slices (about ½ pound) thick cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces or pork belly!
• ▢ ½ cup catsup

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325º and grease a large 2½ to 3 quart casserole dish with bacon fat, just rub some bacon pieces around the dish.
• Empty one can of pork and beans (excess liquid skimmed off) into bottom of casserole dish. Combine brown sugar and mustard in small bowl. Sprinkle half the brown sugar/mustard mixture over beans. Scatter chopped onions over beans and brown sugar mixture.
• Empty second can of pork and beans over top. Sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture. Scatter bacon pieces evenly over top, followed by catsup.
• Bake in slow oven (325º) for 2½ hours. Stir to combine and let rest at least 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

• Start with canned pork and beans as your base, spooning off excess liquid at the top of the can.  That’s just what I do, you don’t need all that extra liquid.
• If you want to be adventurous, try using pork belly instead of bacon.  I have and love it!  Cubed sous vide pork belly I got at Costco, it was delicious and very similar to bacon, practically melts in your mouth!
• Don’t rush things, let them cook for a long time in a slow oven.  Just leave them alone, they will do their thing.
• No need to stir during baking, let the bacon brown on top.  Stir to combine when done.
• Let them rest, thicken and cool down.  I actually like them best barely warm, room temp even.

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcal Carbohydrates: 21g Protein: 3g Fat: 9g Saturated Fat: 3g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 14mg Sodium: 259mg Potassium: 120mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 19g Vitamin A: 70IU Vitamin C: 1mg Calcium: 21mg Iron: 1mg

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