Creole Baked Beans are so delicious, easy to make, plus they are healthy! This bean dish is an adaptation of the Northern Italian classic that is simply wonderful and full of deep, rich flavors. A picnic or a barbecue just is not right without some delicious baked beans. So, make your family a big pot of baked beans!
Creole Baked Beans recipe was adapted from the cookbook, Not Afraid of Flavor, Recipes From Magnolia Grill, by Ben and Karen Barker (University of North Carolina Press).
History: It is said that cooking red beans came about because of laundry day in Louisiana. In the 19th century, dealing with laundry always took quite a bit of effort in the old days as they did not have washing machines. This did not leave much time for cooking, so dinner had to be something that could cook by itself. By getting the beans on the stove in early the morning, the lady of the house could then deal with the wash all day as the pot simmered. Traditionally Monday was known as red beans and rice day.
More delicious Bean Recipes.
Please check out my Lamb Osso Buco which includes this wonderful Creole Baked Beans.
- 1 pound small dried beans (red or white)*
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup onion, cut into small dice
- 2 ribs celery, cut into small dice
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into small dice
- 1/4 cup garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon Creole Spice Blend (from recipe below)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 cup tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or 1 can Roma tomatoes, crushed)
- 1 quart chicken stock or lamb stock
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons oregano, chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley
- Cider vinegar to taste
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
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Place beans in a bowl of water; soak overnight
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Prepare Creole Spice Blend (see below); set aside.
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Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
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In a large heavy pot, heat olive oil. Add the onion, celery, and pepper; cook until softened and lightly caramelized.
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Add garlic, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and Creole Spice Blend; cook 2 minutes.
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Stir in the brown sugar, mustard, tomatoes, drained beans, and enough chicken or lamb stock. Stir well, bring to a boil; cover pan with aluminum foil and then a tight-fitting lid.
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Drain soaked beans and discard the liquid. Add the beans and enough chicken stock to cover by 1 1/2 inches; bring to a boil on your stovetop. Remove from stovetop and tightly cover the pan with aluminum foil and a lid.
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Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours; check the stock regularly and add more if necessary. Cook until the beans are tender and most of the stock is absorbed. Season generously with salt.
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Refrigerate prepared beans overnight or longer (the flavor improves is these beans are made 1 to 2 days in advance.
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Combine all the ingredients in a spice mill or small electric coffee grinder. Grind until smooth and uniform. Cover tightly to store.
* Pick through the beans, discarding any debris and beans that are shriveled or broken, and rinse in cold water.
4 Responses to “Creole Baked Beans Recipe”
Misty
Hello there. These sound delicious but there seems to be a mistake in the directions. It says to, well I will just copy and paste here so you can see what I am referring to…….” Stir in the brown sugar, mustard, tomatoes, drained beans, and enough chicken or lamb stock. Stir well, bring to a boil; cover pan with aluminum foil and then a tight-fitting lid.
Drain beans. Add the beans and enough chicken stock to cover by 1 1/2 inches; bring to a boil; tightly cover with aluminum foil and a lid; bake until tender, adding more stock if needed (about 1 1/2 hours)
Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours; check the stock regularly and add more if necessary. Cook until the beans are tender and most of the stock is absorbed. Season generously with salt.”
Am I just reading this wrong? Thanks so much.
Linda Stradley
I am not understanding what you are asking me. – Linda Stradley
Bonita Jones Masteller
I am having the same problem. As the recipe is posted online:
It looks as if this part “Stir….tomatoes, drained beans, and enough chicken or lamb stock. Stir well, bring to a boil; cover pan with aluminum foil and then a tight-fitting lid” COULD BE QUITE DANGEROUS. It doesn’t say to turn down the heat (we were bringing it to a boil, which for most of us means the pot is on high heat) or take the pot off the heat after the tight-fitting lid is on. If the lid is too tight, it could at the very least blow the lid off (resulting in splattered food and possible burning the cook!
Then the “foil and the tight fitting lid” are repeated again, making it sound as if you’ve got two pots of something now covered in foil.
It ALSO directs us to add the drained beans before it tells us to drain them the 1st time. THEN it directs us to drain the beans and discard the liquid. Really?? we’ve already supposedly added them with the stock! Are we really getting rid of all that wonderfulness they were being cooked in the first time?
Then it tells us to add them a 2nd time. ???
It also says twice to add “enough stock” to cover the beans, then we’re supposed to add more if needed in the oven. But surely the quart of stock that’s listed in the ingredients isn’t enough to cover all that?
I’m thinking the directions got muddled when they were being posted.
Can you edit them and add corrections? Or post corrections here?
Linda Stradley
This Creole Baked Beans recipe was adapted from the cookbook, Not Afraid of Flavor, Recipes From Magnolia Grill, by Ben and Karen Barker (University of North Carolina Press).