Homemade Baked Beans

Homemade baked beans are a really simple, healthy meal to make. To prove this fact we have three recipes for you to check out!

So many people instantly assume it's easier to buy a store-bought can of beans rather than making homemade baked beans!

Baked beans are generally considered a quick, easy meal by most families. You simply open a tin and heat before serving, right?

What you may not know is that store bought baked beans often contain a lot of sodium, plenty of artificial preservatives and some brands contain sugar to try and hide the taste of sodium, so they're not always as healthy as you might think.

Learning to make your own baked beans means that you'll always know exactly what's in your meal. It's much healthier and the taste is far better than anything you can buy in a store.

Traditional Homemade Baked Beans Recipe

You'll find that the traditional recipe for homemade baked beans below will easily feed a family of four, so it's comparable in price to buying tins anyway and it's better for you.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 2 crushed cloves of garlic
• 2 tins cannellini beans (14 oz or 400g)
• 2 tins diced tomatoes (14 oz or 400g)
• 1/4 cup golden syrup
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 pound (500g) bacon bones

Method

1. Pour the oil into a saucepan and heat over a medium heat.



2. Add the crushed garlic cloves and the finely chopped onion. Cook these ingredients for 3 or 4 minutes until the onion softens. Don't overcook at this stage. You simply want to release the flavor in the garlic and onion.



3. When the onion has softened, drain the cannellini beans well and add them to the saucepan along with tomatoes, golden syrup, sugar and bacon bones.



4. Stir the beans well so everything is well combined. Add a little salt and pepper to taste at this stage if you like.



5. Increase the heat up to high and bring the beans up to the boil. Once they're boiling, cover with a lid and reduce the heat back down to low and allow the beans to simmer for around an hour.



6. Remember to stir the beans carefully every 15 minutes or so, making sure not to break the beans up.



7. After an hour, remove your baked beans from the heat. Take out the bacon bones and discard them.



8. Serve hot and enjoy!

Tangy Homemade Baked Beans

This home made baked beans recipe is a little tangier in taste than the traditional baked beans. The addition of some bacon pieces also gives it a little more fullness.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 7 oz (200g) rindless bacon pieces
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tin (14 oz or 400g) diced tomatoes
• 8 oz (225g) dried navy beans
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon mustard

Method

1. You will need to soak the navy beans overnight in water. Drain well before using.



2. Add the olive oil to a saucepan and over a medium heat cook the bacon, onion and garlic until the onion turns golden.



3. Add the tomato paste and tinned tomatoes. Make sure the beans are well drained and add them to the tomato mixture.



4. Add brown sugar, water and maple syrup. Stir well to be sure ingredients are combined.



5. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and mustard. You can add salt and pepper to taste at this point.



6. Reduce the heat and cover with a lid. Allow the beans to simmer gently over a low heat for around 2 hours.



7. Remember to stir your home made baked beans occasionally so they don't stick or burn to the bottom of the pan.

Homemade Vegetarian Baked Beans

Most traditional homemade baked beans recipes contain ham or bacon or are cooked using bacon bones for taste. Vegetarian baked beans still taste great, but you'll need to add a few extra things to bring out the richness in the taste.

Ingredients

• 14 oz (400g) Haricot beans (or any white beans, like navy beans or cannellini beans)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tin (28 oz or 800g) diced tomatoes
• 300 ml red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

Method

1. Before you begin, preheat your oven to 350F (180C).



2. Drain the beans well and place them in a large saucepan.



3. Cover with cold water and bring them to the boil.



4. Reduce the heat down to medium and allow them to simmer for 30 minutes.



5. Drain them again and put them aside while you create the sauce.



6. Heat the olive oil in the saucepan and add the onion and garlic.



7. Cook them over a medium heat until the onion softens.



8. Add the tomato paste and wine and cook until the wine reduces down (about 10-15 minutes).



9. Add the tinned tomatoes, bay leaves and sugar and stir in until the sugar dissolves.



10. Add the beans back to the sauce and bring them to the boil.



11. Remove beans from the heat and cover with a lid. Bake them in the oven at 350F (180C) for 1 hour.



12. Remember to stir your homemade baked beans occasionally as they bake.