I haven’t made my baked bean recipe for many years now, but I decided to do baked beans for our big Fourth of July party. Upon looking at my 1960s recipe, I decided that there must be a more updated recipe for these beans. After searching the internet, I decided Alton Brown’s recipe The Once and Future Beans was my pick for the day. I baked the beans much longer than the recipe calls for—all night and in the morning of the 4th. Then they were transferred to a slow cooker until dinner. They were so delicious. People raved about them. I tripled the recipe and made two slight changes. Because we were feeding people of all ages, I changed the chili pepper from 2 jalaenos to 1 anaheim. There was a definite kick to the beans, but it was not overpowering. It was wonderful.
Thanks so much, Alton Brown for this great baked bean recipe. It has become a party favorite. People have requested it for next year. You can see more of Alton Brown’s recipes on www.foodnetwork.com.
Ingredients
(I tripled the amount of these ingredients for our crowd. I used 2 Dutch ovens.)
1 pound dried Great Northern beans
1 pound bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 anaheim pepper (or other type of chili pepper)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 box of vegetable broth (e.g. Imagine)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Directions
To soften the beans, follow the directions on the bean package. (I prefer the quick soak method.) After the beans have soaked, drain the beans, reserving the liquid and set the beans aside.
Place bacon, onion, and chili pepper into a Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir and cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, brown sugar, and molasses. Add the beans to the Dutch oven. Then add a quart of liquid to the mixture, combining half bean liquid and half vegetable broth. Stir the mixture and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the seasonings. Stir well. Cover the Dutch oven with its lid. Place the Dutch oven in 250°F oven for 6-8 hours—or more.
