Mama's Southern Baked Beans

Thick and rich with just the right amount of sweetness, these baked beans are a perfect side dish for whatever you cook up for your next gathering. 

CLASSIC SOUTHERN BAKED BEANS

Mother's easy to make baked beans are just that,  EASY.  This classic dish has canned pork n' beans, onions, bell pepper, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, and the star, Bacon.  

I could not post my mother's Potato Salad recipe (previous post) without posting her Southern Baked Beans recipe, also.  Like the potato salad recipe, I have had this one in my head for years, too.

I watched my mother make her potato salad and baked beans a gazillion times, and I don't remember her making one without the other, but I suspect there were times when she did.

I know what the ingredients are in her baked beans, but I am not sure about the exact amount of the ingredients each time. 

All I can go on is how I remember my mother's baked beans tasting. I created the amounts of ingredients that my family liked, and I remember how my mother's recipe tasted.

Sometimes, depending on how much time I have to cook the beans, instead of cooking the bacon and then adding it to the beans, I will just lay the uncooked bacon across the top and cook with the beans.

  

Either way, they have bacon in them, which is a win-win as far as flavor is concerned. he! he!

Mother always used a recipe when she did her baking, but she rarely used one when she did her cooking. 

I have seen several different recipes for baked beans, but this is an all-time classic recipe from when my mother began cooking in the 40s and 50s.

Life was simple and delicious, just like these baked beans are.  

Hope you get to make some for your gatherings soon.  Enjoy!

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE?  TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR SOUTHERN BAKED BEANS

Below, under the next heading, I give a list of preferred ingredients, tips, and cooking instructions for Southern Baked Beans and similar recipe ideas you can have.

You can also scroll down to the bottom, where you will find a full printable recipe card with the amounts of the ingredients, complete instructions, and notes.

TIPS AND TIDBITS TO PREPARE THE BEST SOUTHERN BAKED BEANS

Pork and beans.  Use high quality pork and beans such as Campbell's Pork & Beans.  

Drain or not to drain.  There are no rules for draining or not draining your pork and beans.  It's just whatever preference you like.  I like not to drain the Campbell's pork and beans because the sauce is minimal.  If I use other brands, they tend to be very saucy, and I like to drain them.  The sauce sometimes changes the overall flavor of the baked beans.  

Vegetables.  Make sure all the fresh vegetables are cut to the same size as the canned pork and beans.

Bacon.  Sometimes, I mix the small pieces of bacon to cook in with the baked bean mixture, and the bacon will be softer.  You can also cook the sliced bacon pieces in a skillet and mix them in the baked bean mixture.  Most of the time, I like to arrange the small pieces of sliced bacon on top of the baked beans when they cook, yielding a crispier texture.   

Brown Sugar.  I prefer light brown sugar in the recipe, but you can substitute dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup of maple syrup, 2-3 tablespoons of Malassas, or a sugar substitute like Truvia Brown sugar.

Ketchup.  Use a high quality ketchup.  The taste of the ketchup will significantly affect the taste of your baked beans.  I prefer to use Heinz Simply Tomato Ketchup.

Mustard.  Yellow mustard is preferred for use in this recipe.  It will give that tangy taste to balance out the sweetness and tartness.  You can use a spicy mustard to add extra spiciness. 

Test for doneness.  Look for the bubbly juices coming up around the sides.  The beans thicken as they cool, so do not overcook them.

Make ahead.  The entire dish can be assembled, covered with foil, and refrigerated for up to 2 days.  When ready to bake, place in the oven and bake as directed. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO PREPARE SOUTHERN BAKED BEANS

Canned pork n' beans

Onion

Bell pepper

Brown sugar

Ketchup

Worcestershire sauce

Mustard

Bacon

HOW TO MAKE SOUTHERN BAKED BEANS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the pork n' beans, onions, bell peppers, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard.

Pour the mixture into a large baking dish.

Arrange the bacon pieces across the top of the beans.  

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the bacon is well cooked.

We like our baked beans on the sweet side.  The brown sugar can be adjusted to more or less depending on how sweet you like your baked beans.

Judging by how many servings you will need, this recipe may be cut in half or doubled.

Sometimes, I mix the bacon in with the beans instead of just on top.

The bacon is easier to cut when cold, right out of the refrigerator.

WHERE YOU MAY SEE THIS RECIPE

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This recipe was first published in September 2009.  Updated February 2024