Upstate NY baked beans – no molasses or tomato sauce in sight!
Once upon a time, there was a brand of canned baked beans called Grandma Brown’s Baked Beans. Light colored, but sweet, with no tomato sauce or molasses, unlike Boston baked beans. They were a staple in New York, found in every grocery store. I grew up with them on the table every summer.
Just like Grandma Browns
Grandma Brown’s has been gone for many years, but you can make the same kind of beans at home. The basic recipe starts with navy beans. Start with a pound of dry navy beans, soaked overnight and boiled. I save time using canned navy beans. I process dry beans and can my own, but store-bought canned navy beans are perfectly acceptable. Dry beans take much longer to prepare and cook.
However, most people don’t eat enough beans & legumes. Beans and all pulses are a wonderful source of protein. And these are so tasty!
Although many people think of baked beans as a summer side dish, they are great anytime. What family get-together won’t love baked beans?
Want another lunch or light dinner idea? Try a Tuna and cannellini bean salad, that can be a whole meal.
Such simple ingredients
These beans only have 5 ingredients, plus some water:
- Navy beans
- ham or bacon (or a ham bone with bits of meat, or a smoked ham hock)
- brown sugar
- salt
- onion
- water, as needed
That’s it. I also add a dash of garlic powder and a bay leaf, both optional. And if I want to pump up the flavor a little more, I add a tsp. of Chicken or Ham Better Than Bouillon. If I have time, I’ll cook a smoked ham hock in some Chicken Better Than Bouillon and water, then shred to use in place of the bacon or ham, and use the liquid in place of water. I’ve even just put a bone straight into the casserole, removed it, and shredded the meat once the beans are baked. Just stir the meat back into the beans.
Here’s the trick with the beans – don’t rinse the canned beans. Use all that juice to keep the baked beans saucy. These baked beans come together quickly and bake for about an hour. You can easily double or triple it to feed a crowd. Just mix up and pop in the oven!
Bake until hot and bubbly, but not dry. Add more water during baking, if needed. The sauce should still be visible and will thicken as it sits. These beans are great hot, room temperature, or even cold, the way my mom served them. Creamy, a little smoky, and a little sweet. Just delicious!
Need Alternatives?
Use different beans – for the pictures today I tried pinto beans. If you don’t have brown sugar or don’t use it, try maple syrup or honey. Each change will give you slightly different flavors. Try a few different variations and find your favorite.
Bake up some beans and let me know what you think! It’s a family favorite at our house.
Just Like Grandma Brown’s Baked Beans
Baked beans, like the famous Grandma Browns, are light-colored and sweetened with brown sugar and ham.
Ingredients
- 3 cans navy beans
- 1 medium onion diced small
- 4 oz ham or 4-5 slices of cooked bacon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar or honey or maple syrup
- water as needed
Instructions
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Chop ham or cooked bacon into small chunks. If using a ham bone or smoked pork hock, throw the whole thing in the casserole dish.
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Mix everything together and put into a casserole dish.
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Add water to cover the beans. For more flavor use chicken broth or Better than Bouillon, or cooking water from the beans (if starting with dry beans).
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Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes until bubbly and heated through. Remove the bone, if using, shred the meat, and stir it back into the beans.
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Serve hot, cold or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
Optional: add a bay leaf, and/or a sprinkle of garlic powder. If you have time, cook a smoked ham hock and use that meat in place of ham or bacon. Sometimes I add a tsp. of chicken Better than Bouillon for extra flavor. Rather than canned beans, a pound of navy beans can be brought to a boil and then soaked overnight. The casserole will need to be baked low and slow (300F) for several hours to actually cook the beans this way.
