Honey Baked Beans
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At last month’s Boston Local Food Festival, my family got to enjoy many specialty food items from throughout New England. There were some great options for lunch, and they really had something for everyone. I was a bit surprised by my daughter’s lunch selection. She wanted a cup of baked beans. I’m not sure where her affinity for baked beans originated because it’s not a dish that I make often, but she does love them. After that day at the festival, I knew I needed to add this dish to my rotation.
My version of stovetop “baked” beans is sweet, smoky, and very affordable to make. The kombu infuses minerals into the beans, and it makes them more easily digestible (read my tutorial about how to cook beans for details). Instead of using bacon, which can get expensive, I used bacon grease that was left over from our Sunday morning breakfast. At $.27 per serving, this is a great, high protein side dish to accompany many different main courses.
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry navy beans or kidney beans
- 1 inch by 2 inch piece of kombu
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 tbs bacon fat
- 1 tbs soy sauce
- 2 tbs honey
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Soak the beans and the kombu in a large pot of water overnight.
- In the morning, drain and rinse the beans. Return them to a large pot and add 3 cups of water plus the kombu.
- Simmer gently for an hour, or until the beans begin to get tender.
- Remove the kombu and add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Simmer uncovered over low heat for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Serve warm.
Approximate Nutrition Info
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Honey Baked Beans Price Breakdown
This recipe yields 7 half cup servings and it costs a total of $1.86 to make, or $.27 per serving. This is a great way to get more protein on your plate.
I just found this recipe and it looks fabulous! Only problem for me is that I live in NC(a NJ transplant) and my choices at the grocery store are limited. No chance of me finding Kombu. Is there a substitute I can use?
You can order the kombu on Amazon if you want its de-gassing effects. Otherwise, you can make the beans without it.
Just made these for dinner… very good!
Thanks, Heather! I’m glad you liked them.
My husband would love these 🙂
Thanks, Sarah! They’re a great side dish.
Thanks for the kombu tip–next time I’m at the Asian market I will look for it.
Your post reminds me, I’m nearly out of bacon fat so I guess I’d better bake a batch of bacon so I can replenish my stock.
Kirsten, you can never have enough bacon fat on hand, so it’s a nice excuse to make bacon. You can also find kombu at Whole Foods, although I’m guessing it would be less expensive at an Asian market.