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Homemade Boston Baked Beans From Scratch Recipe

A Cheap, Hearty and Delicious Crockpot Meal for the Busy Cook

Jul 17, 2008 Sarah Tennant

Economists and nutritionists alike are recommending we eat more beans. A good vegetarian source of protein and folate, beans shine in this easy slow-cooker dish.

Hearty enough that omnivores won't feel they've been eating vegetarian, baked beans are incredibly cheap to make, and easy to prepare in a slow-cooker. This recipe contains next to no fat, and is rich in health-giving tomatoes, onions and garlic.

To be truly homemade, these Baked Beans should be cooked from scratch. Cooking dried beans is really less intimidating than it sounds! A can of drained beans can be substituted, however. Experiment with different types of beans—haricot or navy beans are the traditional tinned 'baked beans', but kidney beans work equally well and give a heartier flavour.

Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients—this is a very forgiving recipe. The trick is to combine sweet, sour, spicy and salty flavours. Some like to substitute maple syrup for the brown sugar; others like to load the beans up with mustard and chilli seasoning.

Recipe for Boston Baked Beans

Ingredients:

1 cup dried haricot, navy or kidney beans
1 tin chopped or whole tomatoes
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
freshly ground black pepper
salt
1 tsp beef gravy powder
2 Tbsp tomato paste

Method:

Soak the beans overnight in a saucepan of water; or, if short on time, pour boiling water over the beans and leave for an hour with the lid on.
Drain the beans and fill the pot with water again. Bring to a boil and simmer until the beans are tender. Drain.
Dump the beans into a crockpot and add the remaining ingredients. Stir together.
Cook on Low for at least 6 hours, or until done. Check from time to time—if beans are dry, water or stock can be stirred in to prevent sticking.
Serve beans over rice or corn chips, or use to stuff burritos or fill pasties.

Variations on Boston Baked Beans

For a non-vegetarian version, fry 2 rashers of bacon, chop and add to the beans. Any fat from the rashers can be added to the beans during their original boiling to add flavour (remove the fat after cooking). Never add salt to cooking beans, or they will not become tender.

To make nachos, add 2 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce and 1 tsp paprika to the beans before cooking. Arrange corn chips on individual plates, spoon the beans over and sprinkle with cheese. Heat in the oven or microwave until cheese is melted and beans are hot. Serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt or sour cream and a spoonful of guacamole on top.

The copyright of the article Homemade Boston Baked Beans From Scratch Recipe in Healthy Cooking is owned by Sarah Tennant. Permission to republish Homemade Boston Baked Beans From Scratch Recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.