Bartlett Baked Beans

Baked Beans are standard fair here in New England.  Funny as a kid I only ever remember having canned baked beans and hating them.  So when I got married it just goes to figure I would marry a guy who loves baked beans.  And so began the search for a baked bean recipe that we both would love.

It didn't take long to figure out that the best baked beans need to cook for a long time.  And for that I turned to my crock pot.  Now I can make baked beans any time of year without having to worry about the oven being on for hours on end.  I can also make enough to freeze for a couple of more meals at the same time.  You've got to love that.  And to top it off these beans are also frugal and much more healthy than the canned version.  I hope you'll give them a try.

Bartlett Baked Beans (Crock Pot Recipe)

• 2 lbs dried navy beans
• ½ cup unsulfured molasses
• 3 Tbsp arrowroot
• 2 tsp dried mustard
• 1 cup sucanat
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, diced
• dash ground cloves
• ½ lb bacon
• ½ tsp baking soda

Soak beans overnight.  Sort and rinse beans.     

 Place bacon and onion in a crock pot.  Add the beans.

Combine the remaining ingredients and add to crock pot.  This is a really thick paste.  Add enough water to cover the beans by ½ inch.  You really don't have to stir this in, but you can after it has been cooking for a while.

Set on low and cook 8-12 hours, the longer the better.

This recipe makes a lot.  I love that about it.  It is a great dish for a pot luck or neighborhood BBQ.  And even better the leftovers freeze so well.  I use quart mason jars and usually have enough leftover to fill and freeze two quarts.  Make sure you leave a little bit of room at the top of the jar as the beans will expand when they freeze.  Now you've got a quick side dish.  Just pull them out of the freezer the night before and let them thaw in the fridge.

Linking up over at the Homestead Barn Hop, Make Your Own Monday, Scratch Cooking Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Frugally Days, Sustainable Ways, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, and Country Mama Cooks