Bruce's Baked Beans
All our Flash Sale February featured recipes will be components of an incredible meal, just as each vanilla bean is unique but works together to add flavor and delight to everything it touches! Uganda Vanilla Beans are dark and earthy and chocolatey, which makes them great paired with bourbon for a dense, bold vanilla extract that can shine in these hearty baked beans. This makes a large pot of beans; feel free to cut it in half! Leftovers freeze well.
- 1 lb. hamburger
- 1 lb. bacon
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp. mustard
- 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
- 2 TBSP molasses
- 1 TBSP vanilla powder or vanilla paste
- 1 TBSP vanilla extract (bourbon or brandy paired with Uganda Vanilla Beans is phenomenal)
- 1 tsp. liquid smoke
- 1 tsp. pepper (Wild Madagascar Peppercorns are particularly good!)
- 1 can black beans*
- 1 can cannellini beans or pinto beans*
- 1 can great northern beans*
- 1 can kidney beans*
- 1 can butter beans*
- 2 cans pork and beans
Cook hamburger, add to a large bowl or crock-pot. Cut bacon into small pieces and fry, until crisp, set aside and reserve 3 TBSP. of the grease. Add the onion to the bacon grease and cook until translucent. Add the onion to the hamburger. Drain all the beans except for the pork and beans, and add everything except the fried bacon to the hamburger and onion mixture. Stir well. Pour in a large baking dish or in a crock-pot. If baking in the oven, bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes, until bubbly. If using a crock-pot, cook on low for 2-4 hours. Or, for maximum flavor, put them in a large aluminum foil pan, and put on the smoker under your burnt ends for the last few hours! Top with the crunchy bacon right before service. You can add the bacon sooner for convenience, but it will get soft in the mixture, so I like adding it at the end.
*Instead of the canned beans, you can use 2 pounds of dry mixed beans. Clean the beans and check them over for small rocks or dirt. Soak the beans overnight in a large bowl of water. Add to the crock pot with 4 quarts fresh, clean, plain water on high for 4-6 hours before draining and adding the rest of the ingredients. Alternately, after the overnight soak, you can simmer the beans on the stove on low for 2-4 hours in 4 quarts plain water, until very soft and tender. Or, cook them in an instant pot according to manufacturer's directions. You can use other varieties of beans besides what is listed here, but we love the variation in texture and size. If you use dry beans, you will still need to add the 2 cans pork and beans.
*Instead of the canned beans, you can use 2 pounds of dry mixed beans. Clean the beans and check them over for small rocks or dirt. Soak the beans overnight in a large bowl of water. Add to the crock pot with 4 quarts fresh, clean, plain water on high for 4-6 hours before draining and adding the rest of the ingredients. Alternately, after the overnight soak, you can simmer the beans on the stove on low for 2-4 hours in 4 quarts plain water, until very soft and tender. Or, cook them in an instant pot according to manufacturer's directions. You can use other varieties of beans besides what is listed here, but we love the variation in texture and size. If you use dry beans, you will still need to add the 2 cans pork and beans.