I know that it’s almost Thanksgiving. (Gobble gobble, to all of those omnivores out there!) Most of you already are busy planning and cooking your meal. You will have the much-loved side dishes to be paired with the turkey: stuffing is a definite, most likely you’ll have mashed potatoes, maybe you’ll indulge in some creamed onions. While baking an additional pot of baked bean, might be too large an undertaking for you this holiday, I must leave you with this one final recipe before we sign-off for turkey day.

Beans? You might be saying. She’s leaving us with a bean recipe? Yes! These slow-cooked beans were that good.

I hadn’t had baked beans in years. And, come to think of it, I don’t know that I had ever eaten a true pot of baked beans. The baked beans I had eaten came from a can. They were shiny, and coated in a saccharine liquor. Frankly, I was not such a fan; maybe that’s why I hadn’t eaten them in so long!

But over the weekend I wanted to cook something warm and satisfying– something that tasted homemade, without being much fuss, that would be a harbinger of the week to come. So I soaked a pound of navy beans, and broke out my Grandma’s old, cast-iron Dutch oven. After a few hours of baking, what I had was not the sticky-sweet beans of my childhood– it was something much, much better.

I guess the word that most aptly describes these baked beans is moderation. They were moderately sweet, with just a few tablespoons of brown sugar, and a few tablespoons of molasses. They weren’t a side dish, they were my supper. With a slice of brown bread, and a kale salad they were the ideal close to a weekend filled with planning for the upcoming holiday meal.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I understand if this bean recipe is cast aside in favor of more traditional holiday accoutrements, but remember it for when the holiday’s over. When you’re in need of some soothing this winter season, this dish hits the spot!

Baked Beans

1 pound dry navy beans
1/2 pound apple-cured bacon, chopped
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons dried ground mustard
5-8 cups water
salt and pepper, to taste

Soak the beans overnight. The next day, drain and rinse.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a large Dutch oven, mix beans, bacon, brown sugar, molasses, and mustard. Pour in water, enough to cover the beans by about an inch. Cover the pot with either a lid, or a piece of foil. Bake 2-3 hours, checking the beans every hour to make sure there is still enough liquid to cover. If the pot begins to get dry, add additional boiling water.

After about 2 hours begin to check the beans for softness. (I do this by tasting a few beans at a time.When all of the beans are soft, they’re done.) When the beans have softened sufficiently, season with salt and pepper, and remove the cover. Continue to bake for 45 minutes, stirring the beans occasionally. This ensures that bacon browns sufficiently, and excess liquid is cooked out.

Remove pot from the oven, cover, and let cool a bit. The beans will suck up more liquid as they cool. Eat either at room temperature, or reheat. More water can be added to loosen the beans to desired consistency.