Savory Beans Recipes

SAVORY BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Wash and pick over beans. Place them in a large saucepan and cover with the water. Bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.
• Add bay leaf, garlic, onion and parsley to the beans. Bring to a boil again. Cover loosely and simmer for 45 minutes, or until beans are just tender. Note: the times will vary with the type of bean you choose. Drain, if necessary. Put beans in 1 1/2-quart casserole.
• Meanwhile, saute celery in the oil for about 5 minutes. Add pickles, tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir mixture into beans. Cover. Bake at 250° for 2 hours. Uncover. Sprinkle with the cheese. Return to oven and bake 5 minutes longer.

OLD FASHIONED BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Place the dried beans in a pot of water covered by a few inches of water and let soak overnight. Drain the beans, place them back in the pot with fresh water and bring to a boil. Simmer for one hour, then drain, reserving the liquid. See NOTE.
• In a Dutch oven or other oven-proof pot fry the bacon until crispy then add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.Stir in the tomato sauce, molasses, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and bay leaf.Add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved bean water and the beans.Bring everything to a simmer for a minute or two to heat it up. In the meantime preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Transfer the Dutch oven with the lid on to the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 2 to 3 hours or until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened, removing the lid during the last 20-30 minutes to help the sauce thicken. NOTE: If at any point during the cooking process too much liquid evaporates and the beans get dry, add a little more of the reserved bean water. The beans themselves can vary from batch to batch and you may end up either needing to add more liquid if the beans are too dry or you may need to bake the beans longer with the lid off if there is too much liquid. Adjust as needed.Add more salt the pepper to taste.Serve immediately or let cool completely and refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave.
• SLOW COOKER METHOD: Follow steps 1 and 2 and then pour everything into the slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours or until the beans are tender. Open the lid for the last 30 minutes or longer until the sauce has thickened. If the beans are too thick at any point and too much liquid has evaporated, stir in a little extra water.

SAVORY BEANS

Steps:

• Brown sausage (I use cast iron dutch oven).
• Add corn and beans.
• Simmer 15-20 minutes.

EASY SAVORY BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Cook bacon in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings.
• Mix cooked bacon, 2 tablespoons drippings and remaining ingredients in 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on high heat setting 1 hour.
• Turn to low heat setting; cook 5 to 7 hours to blend and develop flavors.

SAVORY AND SPICY NORTHERN BEANS (QUICK AND EASY!)

Steps:

• In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes and saute for 2-3 minutes on medium until slightly soft.
• Add the beans, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Increase heat to medium high and cook for about 4-5 minutes. While they are cooking, mash about half of the beans with a fork until they reach the consistency that you prefer.
• If you would like, you can garnish with some additional olive oil and ground pepper.