We are a creature of habit culture particularly when food is involved. Food traditions aren't only reserved for the holidays, summer barbecues also have their own usual suspect dishes. Beyond all things grilled, there is the potato salad, the cheesy potato casseroles, the grilled corn on the cob, the cole slaw, and last but not least, THE baked beans. Whether they are the doctored-up versions using cans of Campbell's beans or ones made from various types of beans soaked overnight, everyone seems to have their favorite go-to baked bean recipe. In some families changing or replacing the 'traditional' baked beans would be akin to committing a heinous crime, however, mine isn't one of them. Mostly because the baked beans I have made in the past have been good, but I wouldn't exactly say they were great to the point of being so sacred a gathering would be ruined if they weren't served.
So when one of my very best friends mentioned a friend of hers had a baked bean recipe guaranteed to get rave reviews, I not only wanted it, I wanted to believe this rather audacious claim. Could baked beans made with four different kinds of beans (no soaking required), a simple sauce of vinegar, ketchup and brown sugar, sautéed onions and bacon possibly be one worthy of being labeled as great, as one everyone goes gaga over? When my friend shares that such and such a movie or such and such a book was either amazing or just okay, my opinion rarely, if ever, has differed from hers. So I went into making these baked beans having the faith they would live up to the claim of guaranteed' 'rave review' accolades. The expectation bar for these beans was set really high.
While making these beans I texted her to say if they tasted just half as good as they looked, they undoubtedly would be beyond amazing. They were winning the baked bean beauty contest, but would they would win taste contest? And, did they? This question deserves more than the simple 'yes or no' answer. Let's just say that no matter how attached you might be to your treasured baked bean recipe (the one, without exception, you always serve to your family and friends), these baked beans will be the reason why you will consciously uncouple from it and not look back with any regrets. Without exception, the next time you invite friends over for a barbecue or are asked to bring a side dish to a gathering, you will get the evil eye if these baked beans aren't the ones you make or bring.
Isn't almost everything better with bacon (although I have yet to jump on bacon in ice cream bandwagon)? A pound of thickly sliced hickory or applewood smoked bacon cooked to perfection adds an incredible depth of flavor to these baked beans. If there was ever a baked bean recipe worthy of falling under the Twitter hashtag #baconlove, this would be the one.
Chopped onions sautéed in the drippings from the bacon add just the right amount of sweetness to the beans. Choose the largest Vidalia or yellow onion you can find.
When looking at the four kinds of canned beans in the list of ingredients, I thought 'hmmm, garbanzo beans, really?'. Well, whoever put this combination of beans together knew what they were doing. The texture created by the baked beans, northern beans, black beans and yes, the garbanzo beans is unlike any I had ever tasted before.
With the exception of the can of baked beans, the northern beans, black beans and garbanzo beans are all drained and rinsed.
The beans, bacon and onion are all mixed together in a medium to large sized Dutch oven or baking pot (one having a tight fitting lid). If you ever needed a reason to splurge (and I mean really splurge) consider buying a copper pot for no other reason than to make these baked beans in them.
The sauce or dressing for the beans is made with apple cider vinegar, ketchup and brown sugar. The recipe didn't specify light or dark brown sugar so I made the decision to use dark brown sugar as it has a slightly more complex, higher molasses flavor than light brown sugar. Initially it seemed this would not be enough sauce for all of these beans, but there could not be a more perfect balance of sauce to beans ratio in this recipe.
The beans are baked in preheated 350 degree oven in a covered pan for an hour. Once removed from the oven the beans need to rest for approximately ten minutes before serving. This resting period gives the sauce in the beans enough time to thicken just a little more.
After I tasted these baked beans, I texted my friend again and simply said 'I am in bean heaven'. The smokiness of the bacon, the crunch and creamy texture of the beans, the hint of molasses from the dark brown sugar, the tartness form the the apple cider vinegar and ketchup, and the sweetness of the sautéed onions had me swooning. Seriously, these may be most flavorful baked beans you will ever eat.
Try as best as you can to humbly accept all of the rave reviews you will be getting when you serve these baked beans. There is plenty of summer left, more than enough time for these baked beans to become one of the expected side dishes at your summer barbecues or gatherings. Once you serve them, you really will guilty of committing the most heinous of all crimes if they fail to make a regular appearance on your table.
In addition to books and movies (and oh yes, martinis and margaritas), my very best friend and I now have baked beans added to the list of the things we share the same opinion on. As thankful as I am to her for passing this recipe on to me, I am even more thankful to her friend.
Four Bean Baked Beans (inspired by Sandi Claeson's wicked baked bean recipe)
Ingredients
1 pound of thick sliced bacon (applewood or hickory smoked) - drippings reserved
1 large vidalia or yellow onion, chopped
1 large (28 ounces) can of baked beans (do not drain) (suggest Bush's Original baked beans)
1 can (15 ounces) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (16 ounces) can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15.8 ounces) can of northern white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup (suggest Heinz)
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (or can use light brown sugar)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown bacon (but not too crisp). Drain on paper towels. When cool, cut or break into small bite sized pieces.
3. Sauté onions in the bacon grease until softened (about 2-3 minutes). Drain and set aside.
4. Mix together baked beans, black beans, garbanzo beans and northern white beans. Stir in chopped bacon and sautéed onions.
5. Mix together apple cider vinegar, ketchup and brown sugar. Stir into bean mixture.
6. Transfer baked bean mixture into a Dutch Oven or baking pan (one with a lid)
7. Bake covered for one hour.
8. Remove from oven, allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving (wait time allows for additional thickening).
9. Serve and savor.
