Calico Baked Beans Recipe

Soak the beans

Place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water by at least 2 inches (about 4 cups). Soak for 8 hours or overnight. For a quick method, cover beans with 6 cups water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans before cooking.

Simmer beans

Transfer soaked, drained beans to a large pot. Add 6–8 cups fresh water and 1 tsp kosher salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered until beans are just tender but not falling apart, about 45–60 minutes depending on age of beans. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain remaining liquid and set beans aside.

Cook bacon

Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). In a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the bacon lardons and cook until fat renders and pieces are crisp-tender, about 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer 2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat to a bowl (leave the rest in the pan).

Sauté aromatics

Add the diced onion to the bacon fat in the pan and sauté over medium heat until translucent and just starting to brown at the edges, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Build the sauce

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to remove rawness. Add ketchup, dark brown sugar, molasses, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Mix until smooth. If the sauce is very thick, stir in up to 1/2 cup hot water or reserved bean cooking liquid to loosen it slightly. Taste and add smoked salt or a few drops of liquid smoke if using (start with 1/8 tsp) and additional black pepper to taste.

Combine beans and sauce: Return the drained tender beans to the skillet or transfer everything to a 2–3 quart ovenproof baking dish. Add the cooked bacon (reserve a tablespoon for garnish if desired) and pour the sauce over the beans. Gently fold to coat the beans, adding up to 3/4 cup of the reserved bean cooking liquid (or hot water) to achieve a thick, saucy consistency — you want sauce to cling to beans but not be soupy.

Bake: Cover the dish with a tight-fitting lid or foil. Bake in the preheated 325°F (163°C) oven for 1 hour. Uncover and bake an additional 20–30 minutes to thicken and caramelize the top, checking at 15 minutes to ensure it isn’t drying out. If the beans look dry, add a few tablespoons of reserved liquid.

Finish and rest: Remove from oven and let rest 10–15 minutes to set. Taste and adjust seasoning — add additional salt, pepper, vinegar or sugar if desired. Garnish with the reserved crisp bacon pieces before serving.