Friday’s Recipe
Baked Beans
While still looking for that spare time I have to throw a weekly Friday Recipe together, I decided to follow Ex’s lead from yesterday and provide a side, namely Baked Beans. Can’t have a respectable East coast cook-out without them, and there are several ways to attack the critter. I’m going for easy and using canned Navy beans, but you can go from dried up to using a baked bean product that shares a name with a couple former Presidents. Your beans, your choice. Its the end result we’re looking for.
Baked Beans
You’ll need:
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces dried navy beans or 28 ounces canned beans
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup tomato puree
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup chicken/vegetable stock
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
MrsAW1’s secret ingredient, 1/4 cup of Kahlua. Don’t have any? Here’s your excuse to get some.
You’ll do:
For dried beans.
In a large stockpot, cover dried beans with 3 inches of water and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, cover and let rest for 1 hour. Drain and use as indicated.
For canned beans.
Drain and rinse the beans well.
1. Heat a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook for until fat is rendered.
2. Add onion and sauté until translucent.
3. Add garlic and sauté 1 additional minute.
4. Add remaining ingredients and the beans. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.
5. Add additional salt/pepper to taste.
6. Reduce heat to medium low and cover.
OVEN INSTRUCTIONS: Place prepared beans in an oven safe container. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.
SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS: Reduce stock to 1/4 cup, transfer to slow cooker and cook for 6 hours on low.
PRESSURE COOKER INSTRUCTIONS: Wait for gitarcarver to show up.
There you have it, the best baked beans you’ll put in your mouth. The leftover Kahlua? Goes great in coffee, Black or White Russians, or just sippin’ on.
Category: Cooking
“PRESSURE COOKER INSTRUCTIONS: Wait for gitarcarver to show up.”
😂🤣😅😆😉!!!
Thank You for sharing this recipe with us, AW1Ed!
Spare time? You busted yourself when you added the part about “Mrs. AW1Ed’s secret…” I can hear it now; “Honey, will you jot down your baked bean recipe while I finish folding the laundry. That damn Gun Bunny is expecting some kinda Friday Recipe and I need to post it before he starts whining. Make sure you use the term Navy Beans in there, just to poke at him a bit.”
Good choice Bro, beans are good for the heart. And remember, the Army marched on beans too. My go to C Rat was the beans w franks. Wasn’t always sure of what the franks were made of, but beans are beans. The baked version of the above was Mama’s go to version. She’d layer the bacon in there with the beans,bacon on bottom, middle, top and finish off the top with some grated cheese. Good stuff. Have followed that same recipe in a covered cast iron (Dutch Oven) on a grill in smoker mode, and an open campfire with coals top and bottom.
Thanks matey, pass me a slab of that thar cornbread…buttered.
For those who like to cook under pressure: Instant Pot Baked Beans Ingredients For the Beans 1 pound dried navy beans or pinto beans, see notes 6 cups cold water For the Baked Beans 4 ounces bacon, chopped optional 1 onion minced 3/4 cup apple juice 1/2 cup tomato sauce 1 teaspoon dried mustard 1/4 cup molasses 2 teaspoons salt 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar Instructions Place navy beans in pressure cooker with the 6 cups of water. Close lid on Instant Pot and cook for 20 minutes on high pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 20 minutes, then do a release of any remaining pressure. Remove beans from Instant Pot and drain off any excess liquid in a colander. Turn Instant Pot to Saute and let heat up until pressure cooker reads, HOT. Add in chopped bacon if using, if not using bacon add in 1/2 tablespoon canola oil. Add in chopped onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until bacon begins to brown and the onion begins to soften. Turn the Instant Pot OFF. Add in apple juice and scrape up any browned bits on bottom of Inner Pot. Add in tomato sauce, seasonings, vinegar, molasses, and maple syrup and stir well. Stir in cooked beans. NOTE: If using an 8 quart Instant Pot you need to use 1 full cup of apple juice plus 1/4 cup water. Place lid on pressure cooker and be sure vent knob is sealed. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes. OPTIONAL: If you would like your baked beans to have a thicker sauce, you can saute beans after they have cooked. Simply turn on Saute and stir well for 10-15 minute or until sauce reaches your desired thickness. https://amindfullmom.com/instant-pot-baked-beans/ There is a small time advantage in cooking beans in a pressure cooker, but to me, as I hate cleaning up, the advantage is in the cleanup. One pot and done. I also can’t see not adding AW1Ed’s secret ingredient of 1/4 cup of Kahlua to the recipe. The… Read more »
Okay, where’s the corn bread and butter?
For those who like to cook under pressure:
Instant Pot Cornbread
Ingredients
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup water (for the Instant Pot)
Instructions
First, you’ll need a 7×3-inch cake pan. I use the Fat Daddio Push Pan (which is also perfect for Instant Pot Cheesecake!). Spray with baking spray and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk egg until fluffy (about 15 seconds). Add milk and oil. Add flour, cornmeal, sugar, kosher salt, and baking powder.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Wrap top in foil, then take a second piece of foil and wrap the bottom too.
Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot.
Place foil wrapped pan on a sling (or trivet) and lower into the pressure cooker.
Lock the lid and make sure the valve is set to “SEALING.”
Select HIGH PRESSURE and a cook time of 55 minutes.
When the cook time ends, allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then do a quick release of the valve.
Wipe off the excess moisture from the top of the foil and remove foil completely.
Slice and enjoy warm.
To be honest, one of the things that we like about cornbread is the crispy bottom and the Instant Pot doesn’t do that well. You can use the hot air lid to get the crisp, but we recommend going the AB route found here:
https://youtu.be/FKuXz5gcr_g
Instructions
FIRST you need to NOT put that sugar in the mix!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FIFY
Don’t feel bad, gitarcarver. I got yelled at for the same thing.
Don’t feel bad, gitarcarver. I got yelled at for the same thing.
There are two types of southern cornbread. There is cornbread and sweet cornbread.
I don’t feel bad at all about posting a sweet cornbread recipe. ::smile::
Well, the cornbread recipe is good, but old recipe I found uses 1/4 cup of sugar.
Why no baking soda in the recipe? With the use of buttermilk (good idea!), one would think that would be a given, as it is a leavening agent.
There’s a really old recipe that requires a round skillet for baking the cornbread, but I’ll have to find that one.
There’s a really old recipe that requires a round skillet for baking the cornbread, but I’ll have to find that one.
The AB video we mentioned in the post is a very traditional, cast iron skillet way of cooking cornbread.
We won’t leave you Jonesing for a cornbread recipe. 🙂
Naw, I saw it on Becky’s Homestead the other day, but I think she had the oven temp too high at 450F.
It was easy enough to put it together, so it’s worth it to get the recipe.
Just as there are abominations of aircraft with wings/motors improperly mounted, auto loading pistols with plasticized parts, AND movies that make light of historic Naval Aviation, thus too, there can be bastardization of cornbread recipes. Doesn’t make it pure and proper, but it does happen. All the more the pity, since science will show that there is only the true way.
That being said, and just to inform our readers (present company knowing this pro trick) the real secret to having the crispy crust on the corn bread is FIRST: A round, seasoned cast iron skillet. (2) Pour your cooking oil/shortening into the skillet and heat in your preheated oven to temperature; don’t scorch/overheat. (3) pour your melted shortening/hot cooking oil into the batter and mix quickly. (4) pour batter into hot skillet, return to hot oven and bake til golden brown. 450 sounds high to me, but that cook’s oven may cook better for her at that temp. Mine will run better at no more than about 435 max. Not a bad idea to have a seperate, good quality oven thermometer and not depend on the built in one. Just saying.
Slather with real butter and serve up.
That is the recipe that Becky was using!
Hers called for butter and oil: pour the melted butter into the oil, pour that into the skillet, make sure the skillet is coated and then pour the oil/butter mix into the batter.
I thought her oven temp was too high because she had one of those small apartment-sized stoves, so good to know it wasn’t just my reaction. Her cornbread turfed out of the skillet okay, but the crust looked a bit dark to me. I would have put the temps at 425 to 435, myself.
The book she found for making different kinds of breads from scratch is available, and I will get it.
Also, since the cellophane inner bag in bread is no longer there, keeping both heels in the bread bag keeps it fresh until the bread is used up and then use the heels. And keep the bag tightly closed, with a twist tie or something.
Found a recipe for real Southern cornbread, made the way it’s supposed to be made. I will post that next week.
Back to basics, right? Ham, old-fashioned cornbread, 7 layer salad, and a peach and raspberry crisp for dessert with vanilla ice cream. That ought to make your brain wake up and smile.
Ex-PH2, did you ever find a cast iron griddle, seems like you were talking about them the other day?
If you are interested, my brother gave me 2 of them today, 1 round and the other rectangular, both have the bacon ridges on one side and smooth on the other, both have light surface rust and need some TLC, if you want one of them drop me a line, you should have my email, no charge, just pay the UPS shipping.
Yes, I did find one, just the right size and bought it, at Ace Hardware.
Now if the weather stays reasonably cool this summer, I can grill a couple of bacon and cheese sandwiches on that thing, as well as make pancakes with it. 🙂
Pro-tip, use both griddles. Heat ’em both up and assemble your cheese sammich. Put it on a buttered griddle 1. Get griddle 2 and lube up the bottom and place on top of the sammich, weighing it down with a can of tomatoes or whatever. Toast to golden brown and remove, done!
Nicely cooked and compressed, no flipping.
Oh, and you hang onto both of those, because you’ll be glad you did. I can get what I need from Lodge, Lehman’s or Ace. Keep yours. You’ll need them.
Glad you picked one up. I will see if someone else needs them, these are extras.
I’m with KoB on this:
“The Real Reason Sugar Has No Place in Cornbread”
https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/08/why-southern-cornbread-shouldnt-have-sugar.html
And it should always be made in a cast iron skillet…
And slathered with REAL Butter…magarine is a NO-GO..
😉😎
ninja!!!!! 😉 😉 😆 😆 🙄
Put some South in yo mouth honey chile’!!!!!