This post was most recently updated on June 19th, 2018
This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links I may receive a small commission, at absolutely no extra cost to you. In an effort to provide the best opportunities for saving money, time, and stress to my readers, I only promote products and services I use and/or really love. You can read my full disclosure here.
If you would like to know how we collect, use, and protect any data you provide, please read my Privacy Policy.
Thank you so much for helping me earn a living as a stay at home mom!
Summer eating is so much fun! When it’s time to fire up the grill for some tasty burgers, everyone gets excited. My family gets especially excited when they know I’m making baked beans, which is one of their faves. But I definitely do not want to create an overheated house by turning on my oven. My ‘Every Day Baked Beans’ recipe uses the microwave instead. They are quick, easy, and oh, so delicious! And I promise you won’t be able to tell they didn’t bake in the oven for hours.
Every Day Baked Beans
Ingredients:
- 3 Cans Pork & Beans
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Onion Flakes
- 3 Tablespoons Tomato Ketchup
- 1 Tablespoon Yellow Mustard
- 1 Teaspoon Spicy Mustard
In a 2 quart microwave safe bowl, combine all the listed ingredients. Note: If your pork and beans are very liquidy, drain at least 2 of the 3 cans. Stir everything together until well mixed. Place in microwave on ‘High’ for six minutes. Stir. Cook another 6 minutes. Stir.
Now, you can stop cooking the beans after a total of 12 minutes in the microwave, if you want. They’ll taste just fine.
But.
I want that thick, rich, cooked in the oven for hours flavor. So I cook them for another 6 minutes on ‘High’, stir, and once more into the microwave for 6 minutes. So, for me, a total cook time of 24 minutes at 6 minute intervals.
Can I tell you how fabulous they smell while they’re cooking?? It takes me back to my childhood, immediately. My mom always used to bring baked beans to Sunday dinner at my grandparents house, and I remember that tantalizing aroma filling the house ALL MORNING LONG! It was absolute agony to wait for dinner time.
Budget Saver Tip:
In addition to baked beans, my family is crazy about plain old pork and beans. Alongside grilled hot dogs, burgers, sandwiches, or any kind of wrap, pork and beans make an excellent, quick, simple side dish.
I love buying pork and beans at Aldi, specifically the Dakota’s Pride brand. In my opinion (and my family’s) these are the best pork and beans out there! They are tender and flavorful, while not being too sweet-tasting, and they have the perfect amount of ‘sauce’. And best of all, they are less than $.50 per can! I always throw a couple of cans of pork and beans in my cart when I shop at Aldi, just so I always have them in my pantry.
Pork and beans are a tasty and cheap way to add protein and fiber to your meal, without adding a lot of extra expense.
Another very budget-friendly meal idea using pork and beans and your favorite hot dogs, is Slow Cooker Beanie Weenies. My husband and kids are absolutely bonkers over this no-effort, low cost meal! (btw … the Great Value® brand ‘Uncured Beef Hot Dogs’ at Wal Mart are so cheap, and very tasty in this recipe!)
Turn ‘Every Day Baked Beans’ into Special Occasion Baked Beans
So, I call these ‘every day baked beans’ because they are easy and fast enough to fix any (or every, if you really love baked beans) day of the week. But if you want to elevate them, I have a couple of extra tips for you. These are some simple things you can add to the original recipe to make them super special.
Add Ins & Switch Ups:
- Bacon crumbles
- Diced jalapeno peppers
- Exchange the amounts of yellow mustard & spicy mustard from original recipe
- Dijon mustard instead of yellow mustard
- Chili sauce instead of ketchup
- Diced bell peppers
- 1/4 lb. browned ground beef
By adding any one, or combination of these extra ingredients, you can personalize the recipe any way you want. I promise your family is going to give you cheers and applause after just one bite!
When you need an extra special side dish, but don’t have a lot of time, try this recipe for ‘special occasion baked beans’ and relax! They taste special enough to serve for a holiday meal or to take to a church or homeschool potluck. Or any time you want to impress and awe people with your culinary magnificence.
No one has to know they only took a few minutes to throw together. Or that you barely had to pay them any attention while they cooked! And I won’t tell if you won’t. 😉
Summer eating is fun. But it’s even more fun when the summer cooking is so easy! And it’s the most fun of all, when you don’t have to slave over a hot stove to prepare a delicious dish that will garner lots of compliments for the cook.
I hope you’ll try these ‘every day baked beans’ – they’re so yummy! I can’t wait to hear what your family thinks of them, so please leave a comment. Also, be sure to follow me on That Farm Mama’s Facebook page, Instagram, & my Pinterest, where I share some of my day to day excitement here on the farm. 🙂
Love & Blessings,
Sharon
