(Sorta) Baked Beans

I have attempted to make bean dishes from scratch before. Where you soak the beans overnight? Not much luck. The beans either came out hard as a rock or as mushy as wet mud between your toes (and sometimes they kinda looked like that too). So, up until now, when I've wanted baked beans, I've opened up a can of Bush's Baked Beans, B&M, Heinz (didn't really matter which brand) added some spices, slapped a couple of bacon strips on top, thrown it all in the oven for a bit and PRESTO! Baked Beans. Deal with it.

But I did recently come across a recipe on The Wednesday Chef blog that sounded interesting. Baked beans that tasted like you had started from scratch but, wait for it, yep, all you do is open some cans and add some spices. But you weren't using pre-made baked beans, you started with canned pinto beans. Okay, this was probably as close as I was going to get to a "from scratch" recipe so I decided to give it a try. Her recipe is a version of a recipe that NY Times columnist Melissa Clark wrote about a couple of weeks ago.

Not bad. I'll definitely make these the next time I need some baked beans for a BBQ or pot luck. It certainly was easy to do and fit right in with my entire BBQ schedule that day. Most of the canned pre-made baked beans are way to sweet for me anyway, these had just the right amount of sugary stuff. I did miss the bacon though and may have to sneak it in on the next go round.

FAKE BAKED BEANS

3 (15-oz) cans of pinto beans
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of smoked Spanish paprika

Put the beans, with their liquid, in a pot. In a small bowl, mix together ketchup, molasses, vinegar, mustard powder, Tabasco and pepper. Pour mixture into beans and stir well.

Bring everything to a simmer. Let simmer over low heat until beans are thickened, about 30 to 45 minutes. Season with salt if needed. Serves 4

Ingredient Notes: Spanish Paprika - there have been many posts on the food blogs recently about Spanish Paprika and what a great smokey flavor it brings to foods. Though I keep saying I'm going to buy the good stuff, I only had a cheap supermarket brand handy for this recipe. If I used the same cheap stuff again, I'd probably add a bit more than a pinch. Tabasco - yep, I added a bit more than a 1/4 teaspoon of Tabasco!

Thanks to Luisa at The Wednesday Chef for the recipe. Go check out her blog, she's got some great recipes to try.

Comments

[Kathie]

This is really, really close to the "fake homemade" beans I make all the time. (Only differs with the tabasco, and I may just have to add that!) ;-) I also brown hamburger and onions and add to it sometimes...and then use it as a chili type addition to a hot dog and bun. It is so good that way.

[Roz]

This was really good Rene. It was just the right amount of sweetness. You are right in that I miss that bacon taste.

[Mrs. L]

Kathie - Oh man, adding hamburger and onions sounds like a great idea! I'm going to have to make a note and try that.

Mom - Glad you liked it!

[barbie2be]

oh, yummy!

[Jan]

Oh yum! I just figured out this recipe and I can have it!!!!! If anyone is following WW it is 4.5 points per serving.