This past Saturday my cousin hosted a potluck party to celebrate her son’s graduation from high school last Spring, and so we could all gather around and give him well wishes for his next journey. On Monday he left for boot camp, my cousin is going off to make himself into a Marine! We are all so proud of him and wish him the very best for the next three months, {{HUGS}} kiddo, you’re going to be awesome!!
We were all asked to bring a dish to the party. I finally decided to bring a big ol’ pot of baked beans, it’s been awhile since I’ve made them and I know my cousin used to like “Hen’s Beans” when he was little. They were a hit! An older gentleman even tried to take me home with him and started referring to me as “the bean lady” lol! They must have been good, I wouldn’t know because by the time I got back to the table to get a scoop, the crock pot was scraped clean!
It must be all the good stuff I threw in there. When you’re making beans, you want to use the best – Bush’s baked beans are my favorite and I really think it makes a difference using them over a generic brand. I get the original flavor so I can make them my own.
Brown sugar, molasses, ketchup, mustard and lots of bacon and ham are just a few of the reasons these beans are so well loved. My other trick? Cooking them two times! Leftover beans always taste better, so now I Bake my beans in the oven the day before I plan on serving them. The next day, I cook them again in the crock pot. This creates the thick dark sauce and helps all the flavors meld together. They’re so good you could eat them for dessert! Yum!
- 1 - 117 oz can Busch's Baked Beans (Original Flavor)
- 1 - 15 oz can black eyed peas, rinsed well
- 6 (heaping) Tbs Ketchup
- ¼ c + 2 Tbs dark molasses
- 1½ c + 1 Tbs brown sugar
- 1 Tbs dry mustard
- 4 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 1 c chopped onion (optional)
- 1 lb bacon
- 1 lb ham steak
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Into a large baking dish, or crock pot insert, pour can of beans and black eyed peas. Add ketchup, molasses, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
- Spray large skillet with no-stick cooking spray, dice ham and saute ham and ham bone in skillet over medium heat until slightly browned. Add to beans.
- Cut raw bacon into ½ wide pieces, cook in skillet until crisp. Drain well and add to beans. If you're using the onion, saute it in the skillet with 1 Tbs butter until soft and add to the beans.
- Stir well then sprinkle 1 Tbs brown sugar over top. Place beans into preheated oven and bake, uncovered for 45 - 60 minutes, until beans are bubbling and top is browned. Remove from oven.
- Let the beans sit until they are cool enough to put the pan into the fridge (covered). Leave overnight.
- A few hours before serving time, take the beans out and reheat them on high for 3 hours in the crock pot. The flavors have time to meld together and they are super yummy when eaten the day after baking!
- Serves a crowd!
Of course, you could serve them the same day they're made or even skip the oven all together and just cook them in the slow cooker. If you do skip the oven I suggest draining most of the liquid off of the big can of beans.
I never use the onions and they taste fine without them!
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Oh Yummm!!
I have never made baked beans in the crockpot. In fact, I’ve never done anything with them other then heat them out of the can. I’ll have to try this.
You’ll never go back! ;)
HI Henrietta……looks YUMMy……….I make the same recipe except I add cooked ground beef in mine <3
Made this recipe tonight. Couldn’t resist tasting before I put it in the fridge, oh my goodness it is so yummy! I can’t wait to try it tomorrow after it has had a chance to sit and the flavors come together! I liked the taste so much that I have now saved this recipe for my go to baked beans! Thank you for a great dish!
I’m so glad that you like them Christine! Now I want some too!
Wow. So mouthwatering. Thanks for sharing the recipe.