Description
A simple and delicious recipe for easy baked beans with a sweet and tangy flavor, perfect as a hearty side dish or a comforting meal. This recipe combines canned baked beans with brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and spices, then bakes it to develop rich flavors and a thickened sauce. Optional cooked bacon adds a smoky depth.
Ingredients
Scale
Beans Mixture
- 2 cans (15 oz each) baked beans
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Add-ins
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cooked bacon (optional for extra flavor)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the beans.
- Prepare Beans: In a medium bowl, combine the baked beans, brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Mix well to ensure all the flavors are incorporated.
- Add Onion and Bacon: Stir in the finely chopped onion and cooked bacon, if using, to add texture and savory flavor to the dish.
- Bake: Pour the bean mixture into a baking dish and cover it loosely with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and heat through.
- Finish and Serve: Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes to thicken the sauce. Once done, serve the baked beans hot as a flavorful side or main accompaniment.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon or substitute with a plant-based bacon alternative.
- You can adjust the sweetness by varying the amount of brown sugar according to taste.
- If a thicker sauce is preferred, bake uncovered for the last 10 minutes as instructed.
- Smoked paprika can be replaced with regular paprika if unavailable, but it will alter the smoky flavor slightly.
- Make sure to stir the beans well before serving to redistribute the sauce.
