Baked Beans(Usda)
Submitted by Lorelei
Classic USDA-style baked beans with navy beans, salt pork, molasses, brown sugar, and dry mustard. A big-batch recipe built for freezing and feeding a crowd.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
1 hrsCOOK
2 hrsREADY
4 hrsThis is baked beans done the old-school government way, scaled big and built to last.
Dried navy beans get a quick boil and soak, then simmer with sliced salt pork until tender. The cooking liquid is pure gold here, starchy and savory, and two cups of it get whisked with molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, and dried onion to create the sauce.
Everything gets divided into four baking pans and baked until the top browns and the sauce reaches that perfect thick, sticky consistency.
The recipe is designed for batch cooking and freezing. Line your pans with freezer wrap, portion it out, and you’ve got baked beans on standby for weeks of dinners, cookouts, or potlucks.
Pro Tips
- Save the bean cooking liquid. It’s loaded with flavor and starch that makes the sauce cling to every bean.
- The quick-soak method (boil 2 minutes, soak 1 hour) works well, but overnight soaking gives a slightly creamier result.
- Salt pork does the heavy lifting for richness. Slice it thin so it renders properly during baking.
- Freeze portions flat for faster thawing. Reheat in a covered dish with a splash of water.
Ingredients
Directions
Line four 8×8-inch baking pans with heat-resistant freezer wrap.
Allow enough extra wrap to fold over top.
Use one pan for each six servings or one-fourth of the recipe.
Do not line pans for food to be served without freezing.
Add beans to boiling water; return to boiling.
Boil beans 2 minutes; then soak beans 1 hour (or overnight, if preferred).
Add salt pork and salt to beans. Cook beans slowly until tender, about 1½ hours.
Drain; save 2 cups cooking liquid.
Mix bean cooking liquid, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, and onion.
Pour over beans.
Mix gently. Pour one-fourth of mixture into each baking dish .
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Bake 1 hour or until beans are lightly browned and sauce is desired consistency.
Comments
