Smoked paprika, which you can find at an international grocer or a specialty food store, gives these baked beans a smoky flavor, and also makes them pork-free and vegetarian. Start this baked beans recipe well before you plan to serve it; it requires an overnight soak and 12 to 15 hours of cooking in the slow cooker. But they're well worth the long cooking time.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 13 hours, 00 minute
Ingredients:
- 1 pound dried navy beans, rinsed and picked through
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 medium onion, grated
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
Preparation:
- Place beans in a bowl or the slow cooker crock and cover with an inch or two of water. Soak overnight or for 9 hours (slow cooker should be turned off). Drain water.
- Cover beans with about 2 inches of water. Set slow cooker to low and cook for 3 hours. Drain beans, and return to the slow cooker crock (Beans will still be very hard).
- Add ketchup, molasses, onion, brown sugar, paprika, mustard and 2 cups water, stir to combine. Set slow cooker to low and let simmer.
- Beans can cook largely unattended if you're doing them overnight or if you're not home, but if you won't be able to check them for more than, say, 6 hours, you should add another cup or two of water. If you can check them every few hours, give them a stir and if they seem dry, add more water in 1-cup increments.
- Depending on your slow cooker, the beans will take anywhere from 10 to 14 hours to become tender. Note: do not add salt while beans are cooking—salt will prevent them from softening.
- When beans are nearly completely cooked, give them a taste and add more ketchup, paprika or brown sugar if necessary.
- Beans can be refrigerated for a day or even two before serving; to serve, simply return them to the slow cooker, set the heat for high until they're hot, then turn it to the keep warm setting.
Serves 8 to 10 as a side dish.
