# What do you put in your baked beans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2014, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665 "2014-05-18T00:32:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Why\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b782af/32.png) [@Why\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_Child)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/1 "2014-05-18T00:32:03Z")
I’m not really asking for recipes, I am just asking to see if most people use the same things, or if the ingredients are wildly varied. (The Dope is my access to people that are wildly varied!! 😃 ) I make my baked beans on the stove top. I start with a can of baked beans, preflavored with any (or any combination of) the following: bacon, onion, brown sugar, or “maple flavoring.” I add a can of pork and beans, then I add other things to customize them. One batch is never the same as the next. I **always** add onion. The other ingredients may be: bacon mustard ketchup (or catsup - depending on where you’re from ) brown sugar honey maple syrup liquid “smoke seasoning” (Hickory or mesquite) hickory or mesquite powdered spice. Upon occasion I will add barbeque sauce - it happens most often when we are using that sauce on the meat we are having for dinner. (I see it on the counter, and think, “Yeah, okay” :o ) What do you put in yours? Always? Does it vary? ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/2 "2014-05-18T00:35:52Z")
Does chili count? ---
**Author:** ![Why\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b782af/32.png) [@Why\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_Child)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/3 "2014-05-18T01:18:18Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Does chili count? Wait, you put chili in your baked beans?! Or are you asking if you can hijack my thread to ask “What do you put in your chili?” :dubious: If you put chili ingredients in your baked beans, **please** expound a bit. If not, start your own thread! 😛 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/4 "2014-05-18T01:47:29Z")
Brown sugar Bacon Worcestershire sauce Onion The key isn’t really what or how much you put in, it’s simmering the mix for a long time over a low flame. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/5 "2014-05-18T01:59:58Z")
> [@Why\_Child](#): > > Wait, you put chili in your baked beans?! Or are you asking if you can hijack my thread to ask “What do you put in your chili?” :dubious: > > If you put chili ingredients in your baked beans, **please** expound a bit. If not, start your own thread! 😛 😃 Ok, chili (the dish, not the ingredient) isn’t even close to baked beans. Ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/6 "2014-05-18T02:29:27Z")
Country style pork ribs. Let it simmer till they are fall apart tender. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/7 "2014-05-18T02:42:21Z")
Always from scratch - never canned as a starter unless I’m just cooking dinner for myself. Dried Great Northern or Navy beans Pork Onions Molasses Bourbon Dry mustard Brown sugar After that it gets weird, depending on my mood. Hot sauce, habs, umami of some sort, diced apples, whatever. But never any tomato product or fake smoke. Of course, if I’m just making glop for my own dinner, a can of baked beans could get just about anything added to it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/8 "2014-05-18T02:46:31Z")
Lumpy, chili usually has beans in it. Is that what threw you? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/9 "2014-05-18T03:32:09Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Lumpy, chili usually has beans in it. Is that what threw you? Chili often doesn’t have beans in it. It sometimes might, but to some, beans in chili is sacrilege. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/10 "2014-05-18T03:41:17Z")
Nobody’s mentioned garlic yet? And bacon and onion are both no-brainers. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/11 "2014-05-18T04:31:50Z")
Baked beans, black eyed peas, kidney beans and prolly a lot of beans are VASTLY improved by the flavor of[bacon jam.](http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/07/bacon-jam-ooh-mommy/) ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/12 "2014-05-18T06:10:48Z")
Great Northern beans Maple syrup Rum An onion, quartered Ground mustard seed Sliced apples on top Mmm-mmmm. ---
**Author:** ![Strangeland64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@Strangeland64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strangeland64)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/13 "2014-05-18T11:19:52Z")
a small amount of ground hamburger, browned and drained chopped onion and bell pepper simmered in beans till soft a dash of barbeque sauce, worsteshire sauce an sometimes a small amount of mustard a bit of brown sugar to taste ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/14 "2014-05-18T12:25:51Z")
Brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, onions. Since we don’t use pork products, we use vegetarian beans. If we want meat in 'em, we cut kosher hot dogs into coins and toss them in. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/15 "2014-05-18T13:22:24Z")
A tablespoon of instant coffee crystals. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/16 "2014-05-18T15:56:18Z")
If I’m not eating them cold, straight from the can, I might add pepper and grated cheese. Note; this is British-style baked beans which are just beans and tomato sauce. I hear US baked beans have a lot more added. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/17 "2014-05-18T19:57:54Z")
American baked beans _can_ be just beans and tomato sauce, and if you just buy the cheap cans, that’s what you’re going to get. They can be so much more, though, too. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/18 "2014-05-18T20:19:06Z")
I like to make “calico beans” with bacon, ground beef, Lima and butter beans, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, etc added to my baked beans. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/19 "2014-05-18T20:23:20Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I like to make “calico beans” with bacon, ground beef, Lima and butter beans, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, etc added to my baked beans. That sounds good. Do you brown the beef and bacon first, then add it to prepared baked beans along with the other beans and flavorings? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665/20 "2014-05-18T20:37:06Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > That sounds good. Do you brown the beef and bacon first, then add it to prepared baked beans along with the other beans and flavorings? Yep, and it all simmers in the crockpot for a while if there’s time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-put-in-your-baked-beans/688665.md?page=2)