Grandma Brown's Secret Baked Bean Recipe Revealed

What’s better than baked beans? They are cheap, reliable, and a crowd-pleaser. And when it comes to baked beans, what’s better than Grandma Brown’s? To this day, they stopped and haven’t resumed production of them. But that’s okay. Our Grandma Brown’s baked beans copycat recipe is here to save the day, with the same taste and flavor. Let’s take a look.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Pairings
• Equipment
• Storage
• Tip
• Grandma Brown's Baked Beans Recipe

Ingredients

• Navy beans — 1 pound.
• Baking soda — 1 tsp.
• Brown sugar — ¼ cup.
• Onion — 1 pc., finely chopped.
• Cooked bacon — 3 oz.
• Water — to cover.
• Bay leaf — 1 pc.
• Salt and pepper — to taste.

Instructions

1. Pour water into a saucepan.

2. Add baking soda to the water, and bring it to a boil.

3. Add the navy beans, and boil for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat. Cover with a lid and rest overnight.

5. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

6. Rinse the beans, and transfer them to an ovenproof pot.

7. Add the other ingredients. Stir well.

8. Pour enough water to cover the beans.

9. Cover the pot again, and bake for 5-6 hours.

10. You should stir the mixture and add water to cover the beans hourly.

Substitutions

• Navy beans — Generally, in most recipes, you’ll see that navy beans are used. With a mild and sweet flavor, they work quite well for Grandma Brown’s baked beans recipe. But that doesn’t mean they are irreplaceable. You could also get away by using pinto beans and white kidney beans.

• Cooked bacon — Bacon could be considered the secret ingredient in most baked beans recipes, and the Grandma Brown’s baked beans recipe is no exception as well. It not only provides your baked beans with some much-needed grease and fat, but it will also result in a smoky, savory flavor that you’d expect from a baked bean. If you’re short on bacon, smoked sausage will do just fine. Feeling spicy? Consider going with kielbasa. If pork is not a choice for you, you could also consider ground beef with the addition of onions and brown sugar.

• Bay leaf — Bay leaf provides an earthy, minty flavor, which improves the dish. If you don’t have any, go with dried thyme. Some, on the other hand, prefer dried oregano over dried thyme. The former indeed has a similar taste to bay leaf.

• Brown sugar — Our Grandma Brown’s baked beans recipe uses dark brown sugar. The latter has a higher amount of molasses, which enhances the flavor.

Pairings

You could pair these baked beans with almost anything, though they work really well as the main dish as well. To begin with, you can deliciously pair these with any kind of meat. Hot dogs, BBQ meats, cheeseburgers, and many more. Pick your poison.

If you’re more of a leafy green person, add it to a fresh salad. Or, try baked beans with cornbread and soon you will be addicted.

Equipment

• Ovenproof pot.

• Saucepan.

• Measuring spoons and cups.

• Oven.

Storage

• Let the baked beans cool completely.

• Transfer them to a freezer container, and store them for up to six months.

• To store in your fridge, transfer the baked beans to an airtight container and store in your fridge, where they will last for 4-5 days.

Tip

• Use an acidic ingredient — If you’re planning to store your baked beans for some time, you should know that a splash or two of lemon juice, vinegar, or even wine would help keep your beans fresh. It’ll also soften your beans and smooth their texture.