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I love a good ol’ summer barbeque with the family. It transports me right back to the summers of my childhood. My uncle grills the most amazing chicken the South has ever tasted, and I bring the pico de gallo, because know it’ll be a hit every time. But, I especially love the dishes that my parents bring.
My mother spends time the day before making a large amount of her famous creamy cole slaw. None of which is able to be taken home as leftovers, because it is all pretty much guaranteed to be consumed.
My dad on the other hand is required to bring his baked beans with bacon and breadcrumbs. Everytime. No excuses. My family really loves these beans. They’re that darn good.
These are not the sticky, sugary, canned sort, but rather a more elegant version of hoppin’ John (which we also take very seriously in the South). It’s an amazing savory blend of bacon, cheese and beans. Giving you a warm mouthful of love. But then again, most Southern food has that effect.
So, what do these beans add nutritionally to the family barbeque? Navy beans are a great source of high quality protein, which your body needs for repairing cells, making new cells, and maintaining muscle tissues. It is also an amazing source of fiber, which helps your digestive system to regulate properly.
As delicious as my dad’s baked beans with bacon and breadcrumbs are, it’s a good thing they are easy to make.
Start by mixing together the beans (all of the fluid from the can included), parmesan cheese, dried onion (or onion powder), and minced garlic in a large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Then remove the pot from the heat, cover, and set aside.
While the beans are sitting to let the flavors meld together, fry up the bacon pieces in a skillet. Once cooked, remove the bacon and leave the fat.
Add the chopped onion, four of the garlic cloves, the scallions, and the thyme sprigs to the skillet. All of these are important to the overall flavor of the dish.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to caramelize and is very soft (this takes about 10–15 minutes).
Add the wine, bring it to a simmer, and cook until liquid is almost completely evaporated (about 4 minutes). Remove the skillet from the heat, find the thyme sprigs, and pluck them out.
Preheat your oven to 400° F. In the bean pot, add in the bacon, onion mixture, thyme leaves, the remaining grated Parmesan, and 1½–2 cups chicken broth.
Mix it all together. It should be the consistency of a thick stew. Taste it one last time to check the seasonings. Add more salt and/or pepper as needed.
Pour the mixture into a 1 ½ to 2 qrt. baking dish.
In a medium sized bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, the remaining garlic (minced), and the olive oil (you could also use some of the remaining bacon fat). Sprinkle evenly over the dish and bake for 30 minutes. It should be thick and bubbly when it’s done.
If it is browning too quickly, loosely place a piece of foil over the top of the pan.
Baked Beans with Slab Bacon and Breadcrumbs
Ingredients:
- 3 cans (15 oz. each) navy beans
- 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes (or 2 teaspoons of onion powder)
- 2 tablespoons + ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 5 cloves of garlic, separated
- salt to taste
- 8 oz. bacon, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 1-2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme + 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- salt + pepper to taste
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups coarsely torn bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
In a large sauce pan, mix together the beans (fluid included), parmesan cheese, dried onion (or onion powder), and minced garlic. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside. In a skillet, fry up the bacon pieces. Once cooked, remove the bacon and leave the fat.
Add the chopped onion, four of the garlic cloves, the scallions, and the thyme sprigs to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to caramelize and is very soft, 10–15 minutes. Add wine, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and pluck out thyme sprigs.
Preheat oven to 400°. In the bean pot, add in the bacon, onion mixture, thyme leaves, grated Parmesan, and 1½–2 cups chicken broth. Mix it all together. It should be the consistency of a thick stew. Pour the mixture into a 1 ½ to 2 qrt. baking dish. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, the remaining garlic clove, and the olive oil (you could also use some of the remaining bacon fat). Sprinkle evenly over the dish and bake for 30 minutes.
It should be thick and bubbly when it’s done. If it is browning too quickly, loosely place a piece of foil over the top of the pan.
Where will you take your baked beans with slab bacon and breadcrumbs?