May 25, 2018

Yummy Baked Beans

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Yummy Baked Beans are sweet and saucy with thick pieces of bacon. It will make your mouth water as it bakes in the oven.

Yummy Baked Beans is an old family favorite. It has been baked and served in our family since I was a little girl. And it’s still one of my favorite side dishes! Sweet and saucy with thick pieces of bacon. It will make your mouth water as it slowly bakes in the oven.

(Post modified with new photos on 5/26/23.)

Baked beans go perfectly with barbecue, especially barbecued pork, ribs, or a grilled hamburger. Add a side of coleslaw, and you have all you need for a yummy summer dinner.

These Yummy Baked Beans are easy to prepare and this is a great recipe to make with your kids. It’s a simple dump and mix recipe that bakes low and slow in the oven until the juices are thick and bubbly.

Of course, you might opt for premade beans at the store. I admit that this happens in my house on occasion–especially for those last-minute wiener roasts over the fire. But when I want to make a meal that will impress those at my table, I always go for homemade. And why not? Baked Beans are easy, simple, and relatively inexpensive to make. Mix them up, put them in the oven, then move on with the rest of your meal preparations.

I love beans of any kind. Whether kidney, pinto, black, refried, or even Northern (or Navy). There are just times when a Kansas girl has to have a bowl of Ham and Beans, folks. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that I grew up going to the Old Soldiers and Sailors Reunion in Erie, KS. Bean Feed, anyone?

More Bean Recipes to Enjoy

Ingredients for Yummy Baked Beans

(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

This baked bean recipe is so simple to make. Most people should have everything they need in their pantry to prepare this dish. You’ll need the following items:

2 cans of pork and beans
brown sugar (light or dark)
ketchup
yellow mustard
sweet onion
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
bacon

Instructions for Making This Recipe

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.

Chop the sweet onion into small pieces.

Prepare the Beans

Pour the pork and beans into a medium bowl.

When shopping for pork and beans, go with what you can afford. If Van Camp’s is on sale, I will buy them. Other times I’ll go with a less expensive brand. Sometimes I will substitute pinto beans, or a combination of pork and beans and pinto. If you do that, do not drain the beans.

Add to the beans, the brown sugar, ketchup, yellow mustard, and chopped onion. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix to combine.

Pour the mixture into a greased oblong baking dish. I like using a glass or ceramic baking dish for easier clean-up. Plus, if you have a pretty dish, it makes a nice serving bowl for the table.

Add the Bacon

Slice the bacon into 2″ pieces and cook in a hot skillet for a few minutes until lightly browned.

When it comes to bacon, some of my family simply lay uncooked bacon strips on top of the beans to cook in the oven. I like to give my bacon a head-start by cooking it in a skillet for a few minutes. Not completely, but enough that it has a nice browning to it. Then lay the strips of bacon on top of the beans. Or if you prefer, dice the bacon into bite-size pieces. Either way is fine.

Sprinkle the bacon on top of the beans.

Bake in preheated oven for 2-2 1/2 hours until the sauce is thick and bubbly.

Serve Yummy Baked Beans with grilled burgers, BBQ Baby Back Ribs, or Honey-Glazed Grilled Chicken Thighs. It’s perfect for Family Barbecues (double the recipe if needed), Picnics, or for a Chuck Wagon Dinner!

See more Side Dishes Here.