We Asked Southern Chefs Their Favorite Brand Of Baked Beans—And This Brand Won By A Landslide

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Time to stock up.
Growing up, my mom would frequently make a weeknight baked bean casserole that was simple and quick, but always a popular choice in our family. She'd open two cans of baked beans and dice in several hot dogs before putting them in a baking dish and baking covered for about a half hour. (To some, this is Beanie Weenies.)
What I didn't realize then but do realize now was that it was a frugal way of using a pantry staple to stretch out meat and feed a large family—and that canned baked beans were being used for similar reasons but in unique ways by families for generations.
While homemade baked beans are easy enough to make and can be incorporated in so many meals, from Texas-Style Baked Beans to Baked Beans with Ground Beef, there's quality options in the canned baked bean aisle at the grocery store and those have quite the following, including among some elite Southern chefs.
Related: Can You Freeze Baked Beans?
The Best Baked Beans, According to Southern Chefs
There are so many baked bean brands—and varieties—on the grocery store shelves, but for Southern chefs, there seems to be one standout winner time and again, and it's a classic: Bush's Original Baked Beans.
Tia Woods, Gather & Hem and Hilton Richmond Downtown
"My favorite baked bean variety is the canned Bush's Original Baked Beans," says Tia Wood, Executive Chef at Gather & Hem and Hilton Richmond Downtown, who appreciates the original as it has the bacon fat in it that can be picked out or fried, then eaten.
"The original also already has the brown sugar aspect included in the can, which makes the beans a little sweeter, but not too sweet," Wood says.
To 'chef up' these canned baked beans, Wood starts by sautéing onions and browning ground beef. After the meat has started to brown, Wood adds BBQ sauce and honey.
"Before I add in the baked beans, I drain the excess liquid from the can, then add them to the mixture, along with more BBQ sauce. This makes the baked beans and mixture saucy, just like they come out of the can, but better. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and pepper, and boom! You've got yourself Tot's [the chef's nickname] Baked Beans," Wood says.
Paul D'Amelio, The Kitchen at Grace Meadows
Sweet or spicy, Southern chefs all have their preferred way of enjoying their Bush's Original Baked Beans. Paul D'Amelio, Head Chef of Catering and Ice Cream at The Kitchen at Grace Meadows in Jonesborough, Tennessee, likes to add brown sugar, ketchup, and because he likes it spicy, a pinch of cayenne.
"At The Kitchen at Grace Meadows, we add American mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and cooked onion along with the brown sugar and ketchup. Both at home and at the restaurant, I bake them after prepping them," he says, explaining that by adding sugar to beans and the bean flavor steps forward. "Baked beans complement all the best summer meats—hamburgers, hot dogs, hickory smoked barbecue," D'Amelio says.
Zachary Chancey, The Alida Hotel
Zachary Chancey, the Executive Chef at The Alida Hotel in Savannah, Georgia, shared that growing up in the South, Bush's Original Baked Beans were a staple at family cookouts and BBQs.
"My mom had a special way of preparing them—she'd bake them with strips of bacon laid across the top that crisped up as they baked, infusing the beans with a smoky, savory flavor," says Chancey, who loved eating them cold the next day. "As they sat overnight, the flavors melded together beautifully. Those beans weren't just a side dish; they were a cherished part of our family traditions, bringing us together with every bite."
Shannon Snell, Sonny's BBQ
For Shannon Snell, Head Pitmaster for Sonny's BBQ, Bush's Best Original is quite simply the best way to go.
"I love hearty cowboy-style beans, which have lots of peppers, onions, brown sugar, ground beef, and tons of spices," says Snell, who shares that lots of cooks, chefs, and pitmasters love items that start with a good base. "Bush's baked beans do exactly that. The recipe is good, but they have so much potential to be changed into a totally different flavor profile," Snell adds.
Other Contenders
Mark Vuckovich, Executive Chef at The Westin Nashville is also a Bush's man but goes for a different variety: Bush's Southern Pit Barbecue. 'They hit the mark on so many levels. Whether you're eating them straight from the can, simply heated, or dressed up a bit, you really can't go wrong." He continues, "I like to toss in a bit of charred onion to add a subtle bitterness that balances the beans' sweet and smoky flavor. A few fresh or pickled jalapeños never hurts either."
Carey Bringle of Nashville-based Peg Leg Porker and Bringle's Smoking Oasis loves starting out with Showboat beans, adding his ingredients, and smoking them. "Take the can of beans, add your ingredients—onions, bell peppers, BBQ sauce, etc.—whatever you like. Smoke them for a few hours, and boom, flavor bomb," Bringle says. Anyone can make great BBQ beans if you start with the right stuff, Bringle says.
Goya Beans: When shopping for beans at the store, Chef Andres Kaifer of Customshop and Marina's Tapas in Charlotte, North Carolina always picks Goya beans, specifically the canned ones. "They are primarily beans and not excess liquid. Most of the time canned beans contain a significant amount of liquid in them that is a bit thick and slimy, but Goya beans do not contain much of that liquid. This makes it easier to add a quick sofrito to them to enhance their flavor without them being too liquidy," Kaifer says.
: 'I've always leaned toward the more savory side when it comes to baked beans, which is why I really like Bush's Zero Sugar Baked Beans," says Kyle Bryner, the Chef/Owner at Blue Hound Barbecue in Dillard, Georgia, who is also competing on Food Network's BBQ Brawl this season.
Bryner loves these beans because they are not overly sweet like some others out there, and that makes them a great base to play with. "I'll usually dress them up with some crispy bacon bits or raw onion for a little texture, but my favorite addition is a good spoonful of chow chow. The acidity from the chow chow cuts through the richness of the beans and adds that Southern tang I grew up loving. A little mustard stirred in doesn't hurt either—it adds depth and rounds out the flavor," said Bryner.
Read the original article on Southern Living
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