Shortcut Maple Baked Beans

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Just in time for the July 4th holiday, Shortcut Maple Baked Beans are everything you want in a side dish:  smoky bacon undertones, sticky maple sweetness, and a touch of late heat that lingers and balances it all together.  

Shortcut Maple Baked Beans also happen to be the perfect compliment to whatever your Fourth of July menu holds.  

Burgers?  Great.  
Hot dogs?  Great.  
Ribs?  Great.  
Chicken?  Great.  

The best news?  You can grab the ingredients on your way to the lake (or wherever you will be celebrating), whip these up in less than thirty minutes, and serve them for dinner right out of the pot.

What is the shortcut?  Instead of cooking dried beans (which, yes, does in fact take a long time), we are going to start with canned beans.  The magic happens when we lay down a flavor foundation of bacon and onions, then simmer together a sticky sweet hot yummy sauce, and add it all together at the end.  No one will know you didn’t cook your own beans, and you will be the hero of your holiday table. 

Click below for the recipe!

Shortcut Baked Beans

yield: 2 quarts, 8 servings The “shortcut” part of this recipe is that we are not, in fact, cooking our own beans. Canned beans mixed with an amazing base of flavors yields results that are both fast and flavorful!

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Ingredients

• 5 oz applewood smoked bacon, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 15-oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• Kosher salt

Instructions

• In a large saucepan, heat the bacon over medium heat until the fat has rendered. You want to cook the bacon, but not brown it. This will take about 5 minutes once the pan is heated.
• To the bacon and rendered fat, add the chopped onion and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt. Cook until the onion is translucent and no longer raw, but not brown. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
• While the onion is cooking, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, ketchup, Sriracha, fresh ginger, chicken broth, and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and allow to simmer uncovered for 6 minutes.
• Add the sauce and the beans to the bacon and onion mixture. Simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes until the sauce is thickened to your liking. If the beans become too thick, just add a little water until they recover their sauciness.

Notes

Note: These are great when served immediately. They are vastly improved when you make them a day ahead to allow the flavors to meld. Store covered in the fridge.

PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH McLAURIN