Nana’s Easy Classic Southern Baked Beans & Sausage Recipe

Sweet, hearty, Bush’s baked beans filled with bacon, sautéed onions & fried Polska kielbasa sausage. This dish is the perfect combination of sweet & savory. A classic comfort dish for winter mountain trips and cold brisk evenings.

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Hey yall, it’s Jay and I’m back with another “QUICK 30 MINUTE” recipe I know yall are gonna love. I’m gonna show yall how to make the World’s best Baked Beans & Sausage, a modification of my nana’s recipe. 

How I fell in love with my Nana’s baked beans

I used to keep it simple like everyone else when it came to baked beans. I’d cook some baked beans in a pot while boiling a few hotdogs, and when they were done, chop em up and add them to the baked beans with a little sugar.

And BAM, it was all done! LMBO!  That was until my Nana, Alice Mae Gibbs, who I was living with at the time, made me a bowl of her delicious sweet & spicy baked beans with fried onions and kielbasa. 

I remember asking her one night what she had planned for dinner and she said, “Baked beans and sausage”. I said to myself, “She couldn’t think of anything better to cook besides that kiddie shyt” LMBO!

I, as I’m sure most of you do, always thought of it as a quick simple meal for kids since my mom seemed to always make it for me and my sister when we were young and would never eat any herself. Lol!

But I knew she, being the great cook she was, would spice it up and fancify it because, just like myself, she always had a way of turning a simple dish into a delicious gourmet one.

And so when I finally tasted the Baked Beans with kielbasa… MAN, OH MAN, OH MAN… all I could do was shake my head in awe. LMBO! I was in heaven for as long as I was eating it while sitting in her rocking chair.

Maaaan, I was rocking back and forth while stuffing my face at a thousand miles per second. I even recall her looking at me with that “proud cocky smirk” because she knew I loved it and probably bad-talked the dish before trying it.

If you can get a young picky 22-23 yr old to smack down on some baked beans & sausage the way I did, you know you cooked them the right way. Let’s just say, since that day, this has been the only way I’ve made baked beans & sausage.

What makes this a good recipe?

• Quick & Easy: As I just said it takes less than 30 minutes to make this dish. And If you’re super hungry and lazy or just not feeling it, this might be the simple easy dinner for you to make. 
• Great comfort food: This is the perfect recipe for a nice brisk fall or winter evening when you wanna eat something hearty to warm your body up! This is comfort food at it’s best!
• Perfect for winter trips: It’s also the perfect dish for winter ski trips when you’re up in the mountains and staying in a cabin with your family or friends. It’s a good meal when you’re camping!
• Children friendly: It’s also makes for a great weekend lunch for children. It’s not only very filling but also pretty sweet and we all know children looooove SWEETS!

Cookware & utensils you’ll need:

• Knife: To slice the kielbasa sausage
• Pot: To sear the sausage in and cook the beans in.
• Big Spoon: To serve the beans.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Polska Kielbasa Sausage
• Bush’s Original Bacon & Brown Sugar Beans
• Onions
• Vegetable Oil
• Brown Sugar
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper (Optional)

About Kielbasa and alternatives

Keilbasa sausage – The sausage you see in the picture below is called “Polska Kielbasa”. It’s a combination of pork, turkey, chicken, and beef and has its own unique flavor that I absolutely love.

It’s one of my favorite sausages and I fell in love with it the first time I tried it. I think it tastes best with baked beans but if you’re not a fan of pork, feel free to omit it and replace it with your favorite sausage.

• Hot sausage:  If you want my advice on an alternative sausage, I’d say go with a hot sausage. Think about that SWEET & SPICY combo for a minute! That’s a food orgasm waiting to happen.
• Andouille sausage: A smoked sausage is also a good choice or andouille sausage. Im all about food combos.. and some flavors are just made for each other. Sweet and spicy or sweet and smoked, I can do all day everyday.
• Baked hot dogs: And if you dont have sausage on hand, make it the traditional way with juicy Frank hotdog’s, just fry or bake them thangs in the oven for a few minutes and brown them first though. Lol!

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About the homemade version

Now… to set the record straight, I do know how to make these “homemade” style by using uncooked bagged beans and spicing them up myself. But I’m simplifying this recipe for a reason.

This is for people looking for something good to eat that takes less than 30 minutes to cook. So if you want a meal you can cook in under 30 minutes, you’re gonna keep it simple by using a can of Original Bush beans.

You can never go wrong with Bush beans… they have a plethora of flavors so use whatever kind you like. I like to use the original Bush beans seasoned with brown sugar and bacon.

Searing the sausage and sauteeing the onions

Now I don’t recall if she browned her sausage or not but I do… I can’t stand soft meat in my beans that haven’t been seared – searing the meat first is a must for me!

The seared sausage gives the dish more flavor. Remember, searing aka frying meat always extracts the flavors from within. I also like to add a small amount of chopped onions like she used to.

I fry my onions and kielbasa at the same time – raw onions are a no-no. They’re too strong and their pungent flavor will ruin the dish so soften the onions by sauteeing them with the kielbasa for 2 to 3 minutes.

I add them to the skillet a few minutes before the sausage is done frying. The remnants left over from the fried sausage and the caramelized onions add both color and flavor to the dish as well. 

About the brown sugar and seasonings + alternatives

Brown sugar – Ok so this is a sweet and savory dish. So to give it its sweetness, my nana would use a lot of brown sugar. The brown sugar does more for this dish than white sugar, trust me…

It adds a nice hint of molasses flavor to it. She would also use brown sugar to darken the sauce as well to give the baked beans that classic traditional dark brown color.

Now if you’re skeptical about the amount of sugar I use in this recipe, start off by adding a little sugar at a time until it reaches your desired sweetness. Some folks don’t like it very sweet and prefer it to be more savory.

• White sugar and Molasses: If you dont have brown sugar use white sugar just use less since it’s sweeter. I dont like using white sugar because its just sweet and dont have the same flavor brown sugar has.
  
  But if you must add more sweetness to the beans and this is a obvious option. To give the beans some color and flavor, pour in a little Molasses.
• Maple syrup: You cant go wrong with maple syrup. It’s commonly used over pancakes, french toast, and waffles but also taste great as a sweetener for baked beans. It’s easily one of my favorite kinds of syrup.
• Dark corn syrup and Honey: This is another good option and combo you can use to sweeten up the beans without using brown sugar. The dark corn syrup is going to give the sauce it’s classic color.

Cayenne pepper – Since this is a sweet dish I decided to give the dish some balance by adding a hint of spice to it with cayenne pepper. And when I say a “HINT” that’s exactly what I mean. Cayenne is very hot so a little is all you need.

• Red Pepper Flakes: A couple shakes of red pepper flakes into the dish will give it the heat it needs if you don’t have any Cayenne pepper on deck. A couple shakes is about 1/8 tsp, nomore than that. 
• Tobasco: If you don’t have any Cayenne pepper you can throw in a couple squirts of Tobasco sauce as well to spice it up! This is very hot too so just use a little and then add more if you feel it needs more heat.

Loose vs Thick sauce

If you like your sauce thick, cook the beans for 8-10 minutes and they’ll absorb most of the sauce. If you like it loose, just combine the kielbasa and beans and let it cook for 2-3 minutes or until everything’s nice and hot.

Now if you want it thick that’s fine. Just be mindful that the sauce will thicken once you cut off the fire so even if it the sauce still looks runny, after 8-10 minutes understand that it just looks like that because it’s bubbling.

You don’t want dry overly stiff baked beans so you want the sauce to look a little loose when you cut them off because if it’s thick when you cut it off, it’s going to be even thicker when it chills and you’re gonna need 10 cups of milk to drink. Lol!

How to make baked beans and sausage

1. Chop up the kielbasa and onions.

2. Fry the kielbasa and add onions once almost done.

3. Add in the baked beans.

4. Add in all the seasonings and spices and cook until done.

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Tips for best results:

• Stir periodically: Make sure to stir while it simmers to prevent if from sticking. Sometimes, depending on the pot or skillet you’re using, food can stick to the bottom easily. So watch over it and stir every couple of minutes.
• Don’t fry for too long: You want to brown the sausage and soften the onions, not burn them. I’ve made the mistake of frying both too long and it gave the dish a nasty burnt taste.
  
  So remove any big burnt remnants that may be left over in the skillet if you make the mistake of frying the sausage for too long. Don’t add the beans to that because it will. 

What to serve with baked beans and sausage

• Fried chicken: This can be served as a side dish. So if you’re thinking of something else to go with it, you can and will not go wrong with fried chicken, fried chicken goes with pretty much anything.
  
  I used to fry some crispy chicken wings and legs and take the crunchy skin, and scoop up the sweet beans with it. Talking about heaven? Maaaan, the crunch to go along with those beans and that sweet sauce?
  
  Lawwwd have mercy on ME! Haha! I only eat this dish as a side when I’m making it for people who may not like pork or when I’m just greedy and want to do the most with 2 meats for dinner.
• Grilled BBQ chicken or ribs: Listen, baked beans are a well-known side dish for grilled food. I’m from Philly where there was a popular restaurant called “Famous Dave’s” which was known for their BBQ, grilled ribs, and baked beans.
  
  And we know southerners love to grill their sausage or hotdogs before adding them to their baked beans or they’ll have baked beans by themselves alongside something grilled like chicken or ribs.
• Seared steak: The savory beefy flavor of steak tastes lovely with sweet and spicy beans. You don’t even have to try it to know that. Some combos you just know will work and this one does perfectly.
• White rice: You can also serve your beans over something like rice. You can simply look to Popeye’s to know that. Just because these beans are a little sweet with sausage doesn’t change that! Lol!
• Cold milk: And if it’s a late cold winter night and you don’t want to overstuff yourself and need a nice cold drink to flush these beans down with, look no further than a cold glass of milk. You will thank me later for this. 

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Frequently asked questions

How to store it? You can just pour these beans in a glass Tupperware bowl and cover them with a lid. Make sure to sit them in the coolest part of your refrigerator to keep them fresh longer. 

How long does it last? I’d say about 4-5 days if stored in the right place.

How to reheat it? The sauce stiffens especially after sitting in the refrigerator so when you warm them up, place them in a pot or skillet over low heat and add a half cup of water just to loosen it up a bit because it’ll likely be very stiff.

Ok, let me end my speech here before I talk yall to sleep. Give this recipe a shot! It’s the BIZZIDY BOMB BOMB, trust me! You’ll definitely be making this dish more than once! Leave a comment down below letting us know how you like it.

Enjoy, later!
PBJ~

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Bush’s Baked Beans & Polska Kielbasa

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5 from 3 reviews

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 Sweet, hearty, Bush’s baked beans filled with bacon, sauteed onions & fried Polska kielbasa sausage. The perfect old-fashioned comfort dish for winter mountain trips and cold brisk evenings

• Total Time: 20 Mins
• Yield: 6

Ingredients

14oz Polska Kielbasa Sausage
2 Cans (2 Lbs) of Bush’s Original Bacon & Brown Sugar Beans
1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Onions
2 Tbs Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar 
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
1/8 Tsp Cayenne Pepper (Optional)

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Instructions

1. Chop the onions into fine pieces and chop the kielbasa into 1/8 or 1/4 inch circular size pieces.
2. Place a skillet over med-high heat, add in the oil, chopped kielbasa, onions, and seasonings, then toss well.
3. Fry for 5 minutes and stir periodically to prevent each side from burning.
4. Once done, reduce the heat to medium, then stir in the sugar & beans.
5. Let the beans & sausage cook for 8 minutes.

Notes

If you’re skeptical about the sweetness of the beans, start off using 1/4 cup of sugar. If you then decide that you want it sweeter, continue adding more until it reaches your desired level of sweetness.

• Author: PhillyboyJay
• Prep Time: 5 Mins
• Cook Time: 15 Mins
• Category: Pork
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6