Quick Classic Baked Beans

13 Reviews
ADD YOUR REVIEW
Photo: Iain Bagwell; Stylist: Cindy Barr
Hands-on Time
21 Mins
Total Time
31 Mins
Yield
Serves 8 (serving size: about 1/2 cup)
By Ann Taylor Pittman
July 2013
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

Our baked beans are cooked mostly on the stovetop and then briefly broiled for crusty edges. If you want extra herby flavor, garnish with fresh thyme leaves.

Ingredients

  • 6 center-cut bacon slices, chopped
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 3 thyme sprigs
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 3 (15-ounce) cans organic navy beans, drained
  • 1 (8-ounce) can unsalted tomato sauce

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 158
  • Fat 2.1g
  • Satfat 0.8g
  • Monofat 0.6g
  • Polyfat 0.4g
  • Protein 7.8g
  • Carbohydrate 28.7g
  • Fiber 6.2g
  • Cholesterol 6mg
  • Iron 2.5mg
  • Sodium 296mg
  • Calcium 81mg

How to Make It

Step 1

Preheat broiler to high.

Step 2

Cook bacon in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving drippings. Add onion and thyme sprigs to drippings in pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth and remaining ingredients; reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Discard thyme.

Step 3

Remove from heat; stir in bacon. Broil 4 minutes or until bubbly and edges are crusty.

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Ratings & Reviews

Naomi4's Review

ShelleyK
May 19, 2014
My husband hated this and I also thought the flavors didn't work. This is my least favorite bean recipe I've made...

KathrynNC's Review

coopervp
September 26, 2013
We thought this was good, especially for the shorter cooking time. However, there are other CL baked bean recipes that are better. I would make it again but only if time was a factor.

marcy619's Review

BeckiSue
August 30, 2013
These are fantastic....so much better than canned baked beans! I skip the broiling step and they are still super tasty. My boyfriend's face lights up when he sees that I made these and whenever I have made these for company, they always ask for the recipe. Looking forward to making a batch for a Labor Day cookout:)

sukeedog's Review

BPeeples
July 05, 2013
Tasty, but we prefer CL's "Blazin' Baked Beans" (April 2006) - that recipe calls for jarred barbecue sauce, but we always use CL's "Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce" (June 2006). That combo is quite similar to this recipe but much more smokey and complex (and obviously not as "quick," if you make your own sauce - but totally worth it if you have the time!).

BPeeples's Review

Silvertongue
July 05, 2013
This was excellent! Not overly heavy, but still hearty enough to be filling. A perfect combination of sweet/savory flavors, and the fresh thyme made all the difference in the world. Will definitely make again!

ShelleyK's Review

KathrynNC
July 04, 2013
Great recipe! All the flavor of baked beans only lighter. I had to use more broth than called for and I didn't think the broiling step added much. Will definitely make again.

Silvertongue's Review

dancsoccmom
July 02, 2013
I grew up on the molasses baked beans of the south, and served this to my family who is used to the same. This is so easy to make, the flavors are amazing, and everyone loved them....no leftovers what so ever! It was a great change from the sometimes overly sweet beans we know and love. The tomato paste and mustard give a good counter to the brown sugar, and there's a nice amount of spice to give it some heat...which could always be upped if preferred.

daneanp's Review

Naomi4
June 30, 2013
This is definitely a great easy baked bean recipe but we all felt like it lacked something to make it truly outstanding. Now the fun will be to figure out what that ingredient is - molasses? maple syrup? adobo sauce? The possibilities could be endless. Yum.

BeckiSue's Review

sukeedog
June 19, 2013
Exceptional recipe. Will definitely be making again. Simple enough that I will be making this instead of cracking open a can of baked beans. Didn't do the broiler step at the end and still delicious.

cur75621's Review

marcy619
June 18, 2013
I just made this for dinner tonight. We both loved it, and I did not change a thing. Thank you for a great recipe.