Bean’s “Baked” Beans

As someone who cooks dinner at home almost every night, my pantry is well stocked. I try to keep all the standards that we like on hand for whatever I decide to whip up on a given evening. And I usually make things from scratch, but some dishes- especially side dishes- I just can’t be bothered to do all that work. I mean, I do work full time and like to have some free time after work! So things like pasta sauce, Goya red beans & rice, salsa, refried beans, and soups live in the pantry for when I’m lazy or just don’t want to do it all.

Well, I made [link]cornbread and fake BBQ chicken the other night and knew that baked beans would be perfect to round out the meal. [Trit-trot, trit-trot, down to the basement pantry to get a can I go!] What the deuce, I somehow don’t have a can of baked beans waiting for me! Has the world gone wrong?!

Clearly I have forgotten to purchase a replacement can from the last time we ate beans. (Of course, I have 2 unopened jars of sun-dried tomatoes and another 2 giant jars of green olives. Sometimes I think I’m out and buy more of these random things only to find 10 on the shelves already.)

What’s a chef to do!? Nothing else would do for a side dish- certainly not with what I had on hand. I went back upstairs to look at recipes and decided to do it from scratch myself. Lo and behold- they were great! I didn’t bother baking them- a nice simmer on the stovetop did the trick perfectly. They smelled delicious, tasted authentic, and I had everything I needed in the house. Only thing I would have liked to improve the taste would be to add a piece of bacon or bacon fat for some extra depth.


Bean’s Last Minute, From Scratch “Baked” Beans

• 1 Can Cannelloni Beans, drained
  
• 1 Can Light Red Kidney Beans, drained
  
• 1/4 C. Chopped Onion
  
• 1/2 C. Molasses
  
• 1 Tbsp. Ketchup
  
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
  
• 1 tsp. Ground Mustard

1. Combine everything in a medium saucepan.
   
2. Heat over medium heat, achieving a very low simmer.
   
3. Cook uncovered for 15-25 minutes until warmed through and liquid is reduced just a little.