I finally made baked beans for the first time since childhood! We ate them a lot when I was a kid, adding seasonings to the cans of “baked beans” we bought at the store. I rarely eat food from a can now and had given up on the idea of having baked beans because they were so sweet and had stuff in them I didn’t want to eat. The other day, I made some Navy Beans and froze them for soup (that never happened). When we decided to have hamburgers made from beef, I got them out and seasoned them – and this is the result.
BAKED BEANS
Servings 0
Ingredients
- Avocado oil – spray or splash
- 1 medium onion diced (or equivalent for powdered onions)
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pound navy or great northern beans 2 cups, rinsed and broken beans removed (not soaked)
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth – but then not vegan
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or less, if you don’t prefer this sweet
- 1/4 cup tomato paste use a 6oz. can for extra tomato flavor
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard or use prepared mustard (I don't because of the vinegar in them)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Press the SAUTE setting on your Instant Pot and spray with avocado or olive oil. When hot, add onion and saute for a few minutes. Add the smoked paprika and garlic powder, cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant, stirring frequently.
- Next add the beans, broth, tomato paste, maple syrup, lemon or lime juice, mustard, ground pepper and salt, gently stir until the tomato paste is dissolved completely and everything is well combined.
- Attach the lid, and make sure the vent is in the SEALED position. Push the PRESSURE COOKER button, and manually set at HIGH for 75 minutes. When done, let the steam vent on its own, takes about 20 minutes. Move the vent to open, careful not to burn yourself as there may still be a little steam left. Remove lid and let cool a bit, add salt to taste. Transfer beans to a serving dish.
- Beans will thicken once cooled. If too thick, add 2 tablespoons of water at a time, mix well, and repeat until desired consistency.
SLOW COOKER (no-soak method):
- In bottom of slow cooker, add the onion, beans, maple syrup, juice, 3 cups broth, tomato paste, smoked paprika, garlic powder, mustard, and pepper. Gently stir, until the tomato paste has broken up and dissolved.
- Cook on HIGH for 8 – 10 hours. Add salt to taste.
Notes
You can also use canned beans and cook on the stove top or even in the microwave!
Store: Keep leftovers in and airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. These freeze wonderfully, and will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. Thaw before reheating.