In my quest to eat healthy 80% of the time, I rarely cook or keep certain foods around the house for fear – nay, knowing – that my lack of self control around them will no doubt tip the scales in the exact opposite direction, sending me straight into I need dis mode. Such foods include:
Chips. Any and all kinds, but especially kettle cooked BBQ and Cheddar & Sour Cream Ruffles. They have this crazy schnauzer effect on me, aka I could eat them until I explode.
Dried apricots. Sure, a small handful qualifies as a healthy snack – but half the bag? Not so much.
Summer sausage. I know.
Pasta. Preferably white and copious.
Graham crackers. Especially when there’s white frosting involved.
Judy’s Baked Beans. Ahhhh, sweet, salty, luscious Judy’s Baked Beans! Another one of my Mom’s recipes that I grew up eating…and eating…and eating… My appetite knows no bounds when it comes to this 4th of July-friendly side dish, but they are well worth the occasional splurge.
What’s makes Judy’s Baked Beans so special is the addition of contrasting flavors like sweet brown sugar and crushed pineapple, and savory steak sauce and kielbasa in the mix. They are seriously the best baked beans to ever cross my lips.
The recipe comes from my Mom’s aunt’s friend’s cousin’s uncle’s dentist. You know – one of those recipes. We still have no idea who Judy is but, dangit, we sure do love her beans! 
They’re really easy to make, too. Start with 3lbs VanCamp’s Pork & Beans. The name is weird because there’s actually less than 2% pork in the beans, but whatevs! Locals: these are on sale at Dahl’s 2/$1 right now!
Drain off some of the liquid in the can, then pour the beans into a large bowl.
Next add 1 large chopped onion, and 1 can crushed pineapple that’s been drained.
Thenn add more sweet and savory ingredients like 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons steak sauce, and 1 Tablespoon regular mustard.
I know, me too!
Stir everything together to combine.
Next chop 1 package kielbasa and stir it into the mix. I halve then quarter the kilebasa to get nice, bite-sized pieces. (PS this is my favorite part of the beans!)
Pour the beans into a non-stick sprayed 9×13 baking dish (I made a half recipe when I was taking photos so what you see below is an 8×8.)
Layer 1/2 package bacon on top, then slather the bacon with 3/4 cup ketchup. Gee, no wonder I like these beans so much – they’re covered in bacon!
Bake for 2 hours at 350 degrees until the bacon is deeply caramelized. I didn’t let mine get that deep because, well, I was hungry and you seriously have no idea how intoxicatingly delicious these smell while cooking! But for reals, wait ’til it’s deeply caramelized. You’ll be glad ya’ did.
Let the beans sit at room temperature for 10 minutes after baking, then ladle ‘em up.
Judy’s Baked Beans
Serves 8-10 as a side dish
Ingredients:
3lbs VanCamp’s pork & beans
1 large onion, chopped
1 small can crushed pineapple, slightly drained
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons steak sauce
1 Tablespoon mustard
1 package kielbasa, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 package bacon
3/4 cup ketchup
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain some of the liquid off the top of the can of beans then mix with onion, crushed pineapple, brown sugar, steak sauce, mustard, and kielbasa in a large bowl. Pour mixture into a non-stick sprayed 9×13 baking dish then lay bacon strips across the top. Spread ketchup on top of the bacon and bake for 2 hours, or until the top is deeply caramelized. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Creamy, sweet – not too sweet! – and so rich and satisfying. Like I said – no self control around these babies!
I usually enjoy an occasional bowl of ‘em at my parent’s house in the summertime, when my Mom makes a big batch for my birthday or a special BBQ, but sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and bake a big, self-control defying batch yourself. Holla!
I hear this recipe freezes well, but if my licked plate is any indication, I doubt we’ll ever know for sure.
I hope you enjoyed this week of 4th of July inspired recipes including Key West Grilled Chicken, Dirt Cake, and Grilled Steak Tacos with Chipotle Cherry Salsa. Whatever it is you end up eating on Independence Day – enjoy it! 
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What’s your kitchen kryptonite? The stuff you know you can’t keep in the house?
Wavy Lays and Top the Tater — I will find myself opening the bag and dipping chips without even realizing what I’m doing. Not good.
Chips and ice cream. I can’t handle myself around either.
I’ve never even thought to make baked beans from scratch. I guess I always just listed it in my head as one of those foods that comes solely from cans. These looks so good, I’ll have to try it!
Homemade cookies and ice cream!
Baked goods… cookies, cupcakes, muffins… they are gone instantly!
I have a problem with cereal. I could eat a whole box in a day or 2. Bad!
I found your blog while searching for a maid-rite recipe, and started to follow you. Today, I was just thinking that baked beans would be good this weekend, and voi la! That, in addition to the fact that I, too, cannot keep certain foods around the house AND the fact that you use the word “copious” (which I love), all make me very happy to have found your blog!
This looks amazing!!!…. Well I am from the Chicago area….We would add all these things to beans…but also add giardiniera to give the beans a kick!!! ( I saw giardiniera at the Des Moines Costco last weekend)
This sounds really great. We found this great recipe for baked beans a few years ago and it is pretty awesome too. Anytime we take it somewhere it disappears and people beg for the recipe: http://tvwbb.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5290021414/m/5670069613
This looks delish! Love the idea of adding kielbasa!
As far as food that shouldn’t make it into my house (but often does)….mini-Snickers bars (courtesy of my Snickers-addicted fiance) and tortilla chips with guacamole. Guacamole is also a healthy snack, but I will eat the entire thing with half a bag of chips if left to my own devices.
Salt & Vinegar kettle chips. I can demolish a bag of them in less than 24 hours. Cincinnati chili is another one I can inhale, especially when it’s on top of a big plate of fries!
My kitchen kryptonite is cheese crackers – goldfish, Cheez-Its, you name it. I can’t restrain myself when they are in the house, so I don’t buy them any more.
When I want baked beans, I always just buy a can of Bush’s baked beans. One of these times, I need to get motivated and actually MAKE baked beans! This recipe does look good.
I hate to be crude, but my husband is going on a week-long business trip in late July.
I don’t tend to eat beans when he’s around, due to my own, um, digestive issues, but I’m going to tell you right now that I’m going to make up a pan of this on Monday and eat them until Friday the week that he’s gone.
I can NOT have Nutella in this house. I say I’m buying it for the kids and then suddenly I’m standing there with a spoon…..
Ummm, these look amazing. Thanks Judy, whoever you are.
If there are chips in the house, they are not safe. I will eat them until I cannot move. Tortilla chips, pretzel crisps, pita chips, Wavy Lays; I don’t discriminate. I’ll demolish ‘em all!
Peanut butter M&Ms and saltwater taffy.
My weakness is totally anything sweet…cookies, cake, etc and also salty…so chips are pretty dangerous as well!
Any willy wonka candy….runts, taffy, nerds….and soft pretzels in the microwave. Especially if we have jalapeño cheese dip. Naughty.
Pop tarts. Yeah, not quality food at all but got some reason…
Chips. Particularly cheddar and sour cream and dill pickle.
And, cottage cheese. Healthy snack but not when you eat half a container in one sitting.
Yumm. Hyvee brand salt and vinegar kettle chips. I will eat them until my tonge is raw.
These looked so delicious that half way through reading it I got up and opened a can of bush’s baked beans I had in the cabinet. seriously…I just did that :0) I hardly ever eat baked beans but seriously these gave me an INSTANT craving. Now of course I only partially satisfied my craving with the can version, this homemade version is to be made asap!
Doritos!
I am making these beans for camping this weekend.
3 words, extra pork products
Ummmm, yeah. These have calorie-laden danger written all over them!! They look delicious!
Oreos. I wish I could only eat 2 or 3 at a time!
Oh – Salt and Vinegar kettle chips. Hands down. Started as a pregnancy craving and I still love them so much!
And watermelon – it’s all water and so addicting when it’s hot outside!
These beans look amazing and I can’t wait to make them.
No ice cream, cereal, or goldfish in my house. No self restraint with those items around.
A) I am the SAME WAY about foods that cannot be kept in the house. Salt & vinegar chips are my kryptonite. It’s not right.
B) I want these beans RIGHT NOW. And that’s not a normal craving/demand for 9:50 AM. But seriously. Amazing!
I lose control around leftover pizza, baked goods, leftover desserts, my favorite schwan’s ice cream, and trader joe’s cookie butter!
Seriously? These beans look so freakin’ good. I think these might be my kryptonite now! They just might take the place of chips, salsa, and Ranch……
HELP! A small can of crushed pineapple is how many ounces?
I have a hard time with proportions of ingredients [that's why I love when you photograph the ingredients in their packaging]. I guess I’m either a visual person or I’m still frustrated with a recipe that I have — it calls for a ten cent Hershey bar![Needless to say, both the recipe and I are very old!]
2 spoon comments: I love that cute smiley face spoon!
Also, I think it’s cute you eat everything with that little asian soup spoon.
I can. not. keep chips in the house. I will sit there and eat them without even realizing I’m doing it. Along with chips, I can eat a whole jar of salsa in one sitting, it’s bad!
Dark chocolate M&M’s and salt & vinegar chips. I’m usually pretty good at self-control, but with this stuff. Forget. it. I become a total glutton.
[...] of healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle is occasionally splurging on things like Dirt Cake and Baked Beans, which is why I occasionally post indulgent recipes too. Willpower is not infinite, and I find that [...]
Beans look awesome and where did you find the smiley spoon? That would be a huge hit at our house!!
A friend gave it to me from Target a couple years ago (around Christmas season)!
Your baked beans look wonderful and I will have to try this recipe. I no longer put raw bacon on top because I just can’t tolerate all the fat that is rendered as the beans cook. Instead, I cook the bacon and crumble it and add it to baked beans now.
I would like to understand why there are times when a person’s willpower is strong as steel and there are times there is no willpower. What changes?
Hopefully this isn’t TMI for you, but I find willpower fluctuations are related to PMS. That is, about a week before my period is scheduled, my cravings are RAGING! And the day it starts, it’s like a switch is flipped, & I’m totally fine – cravings vanish! It helps to know that during that week, that is what is causing them so I can stay strong.
[...] Iowa Girl Eats Baked Beans. If you don’t like beans too bad! I LOVE them! [...]
Like Brenda, I can NOT have nutella in the house! I will eat it with a spoon, dip pretzels in it, make peanut butter & nutella sandwiches. And before I know it, its gone. :-/
My grandmother, who passed away in the late 80′s, made amazing homemade baked beans and brought them to every family function I can remember. When I got married I made it my mission to make my grandmothers baked beans from scratch. Took several tries, and my family ate A LOT of beans for a good month. I eventually mastered the recipe. And never made them again. Thanks for reminding me about that recipe, and I think I’m going to have to attempt it again for 4th of July.
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[...] Kitchen Accessory: The Happy Spoon. Cuz everyone needs a little more motivation to turn their frown upside down. And really, who [...]
Lays Original Potato Chips–no one can eat just one!
I made Judy’s Beans yesterday! Oh M G! My husband is not a fan of sweet beans, but he LOVED these! I think the addition of the Kielbasa sausage is a great idea! It made a great sweet heat combination! This recipe makes a HUGE pan! Unless you are making it for a BBQ gathering or something I definitely recommend making a 1/2 recipe!
GAH!! I LOVE Summer Sausage AND Cheddar & Sour Cream Ruffles. Lovely sodium overloads!!!
a different idea for beans… and they sound like a great idea for a potluck BBQ!
[...] requested a simple summer BBQ with cheeseburgers, Judy’s Baked Beans, Mom’s Potato Salad, and fresh [...]
Thank you for this recipe!! Went perfect with Alton Bowns backyard BBQ ribs tonight. II added a shot of hot sauce and it gave the perfect balance of sweet and heat.. We loved the addition of bacon and kielbasa! Yumyum!!
Made the baked beans yesterday. Everyone loved them! Fun to make and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
I have so many bean recipes, but I couldn’t resist this one. Everything I like. Thank you.
Thank you for posting this recipe. Made them tonight and everyone loved them. Perfect combination of flavors. Will use this rcipe from now on.
[...] Judy’s Baked Beans: Still don’t know who Judy is, but her baked beans are the only ones I’ll eat. Sweet, smokey, savory – your house will smell Heavenly as these bake in the oven. [...]