Craving Beans – and a not funny, funny story about them

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Craving Beans - and a not funny, funny story about them

There is a story behind these beans….

I worked up this recipe about three years ago, when I was writing my book, Come Home To Supper. It took about two tries to get the flavors just right and the very next day after that, I woke up CRAVING these beans. I called my friend Jyl and ranted like a mad woman over how amazing they were, so she made them that very day – and then she woke up the next day CRAVING them.

So here is where the funny, not really funny, but really kinda funny story begins….

Southern Women Bring Food

Jyl had a friend that very week who had a death in the family. Like we always do when that happens, she called me to go over what food she should make and take. Southern women bring food whenever bad things happen and we love to collaborate on the menu (because we don’t JUST bring one thing) with other Southern women to make sure we are bringing a well rounded spread of nourishment in order to sustain folks through their bereavement. We know you’re hurting and there is nothing we can do about that, but we can feed you so we want to do that to the best of our abilities.

Many a tear has dried momentarily over a bowl of homemade banana pudding

Craving Beans Was a Hit

We both immediately decided that she should take Craving Beans as one of her dishes.

That night, she got a call from the family telling her how good those beans were and asking about them. They were the hit of the funeral. It is a rare thing to go to a funeral where we live and not leave with a few good recipes.

So the next week, that very same friend had another death in the family. Can you imagine? One right after the other. It is hard to even think about.

She called Jyl to tell her and ask if she would make those beans again.

Of course, Jyl did. A double batch that time, if I remember correctly.

Two weeks later, Jyl got a phone call. The same sweet friend had suffered yet another family loss and she wanted to know what time the beans would be there.

Jyl called me in disbelief that one person would have to suffer so much in such a short period of time and to let me know that, surely to goodness, the beans were a huge success. I told her “Jyl, you don’t reckon she’s knocking them off so she can get more Craving Beans do you? You ought to offer to take her some next week, just to make sure no one else dies.”

So if y’all have a copy of my book, Come Home To Supper, this recipe is on pages 55-56. Goodness. People will kill for these beans and here you have had my book all this time and not even made them? Okay, maybe I should have chosen a better phrase to use in my previous sentence…..

But you get my point. Craving Beans. Good. Make. Now.

Craving Beans - and a not funny, funny story about them

Recipe Ingredients:

  • Baked Beans*
  • Kidney Beans
  • Butter Beans
  • Weenies
  • Onion
  • Yellow Mustard (yes, it must must must be yellow, if you ask about Dijon or Spicy Brown I’m gonna throw a weenie slice at you) 😉
  • Ketchup
  • Brown Sugar
  • Salt, and Pepper

Do I Have to Stick to One Size of Baked Beans?

*In the recipe below, you’ll notice that you don’t have to stick to one certain size of baked beans. The recipe in my book calls for one size but I rarely have that size now so I have just kinda let that go over the past couple of years and they still turn out great.

Craving Beans - and a not funny, funny story about them

Okay, this is where the recipe really struts it’s stuff in the “oh so delicious but completely uncomplicated” department.

Put everything in a 5-6 quart slow cooker or dutch oven and stir. That’s pretty much it!

Craving Beans - and a not funny, funny story about them

And here they are, in all their glory! CRAVING BEANS!!!!!!!

What are you doing? Get off the computer and hurry up and make some!!!

Craving Beans

Craving Beans are an easy, well rounded dish that people would just about kill for. Read the story and you will understand why 🙂
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beans
Servings: 4 -6 as a main dish, 8-10 as a side dish
Calories: 114kcal

Ingredients

  • 16-28 ounce can Baked Beans with liquid
  • 15 ounce can Kidney Beans with liquid
  • 15 ounce can Butter Beans with liquid
  • 2-4 Weenies sliced into small rounds
  • 1 Onion chopped
  • 1 heaping tablespoon of Yellow Mustard
  • 1/2 cup Ketchup
  • 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a 5-6 quart slow cooker or Dutch oven and stir until well combined.

If using Slow Cooker (Crock Pot)

  • Cover and cook until thick and bubbly, 7-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.

If using a Dutch Oven

  • Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture begins to bubble. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until thick, about thirty minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 114kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

You also like these recipes with beans:

Red Beans and Rice Recipe Louisiana Style from Hello Fresh

Shortcut Senate Bean Soup

Cheesy Beef & Bean Burritos (Freezer recipe!)

Creamed Beans and Taters

 

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” 

~Albert Einstein

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115 Comments

  1. Made this the other day and husband loved them.
    Only thing I did different was use cut up smokies links and also added a small can of Wolfe or Hormel can (no beans) chili.

  2. Hi Christy,

    I subscribed to you email notification service and am delighted with the results.

    I noticed there is some confusion about: what are “butter beans?”

    Well I live in Arizona and we are seriously “butter bean challenged”, like many of the other comments (which I always read!) Great cooks on this website.

    Here is the answer:

    Lima beans are more than just related to butter beans, they are the same thing! Lima beans can be consumed in both their immature stage (fresh and green, like most folks do) as well as their mature (dried and beige, you must soak and cook them, overnight and cook them for a while first). You might want to try them cooked from the dry stage, rather than the fresh. Christy uses mature butter beans in this recipe (wise choice). The texture is creamier and the flavor is rich and buttery.

    I can remember eating “Beans and Franks”, but they were just a can of Pork and Bean and some cut up hot dogs. This Craven Beans recipe is world class gourmet.

    Thank You, Christy, for this magnificent easy recipe. I know it is a lot a work to keep a great webpage like this going, but some of us really appreciate it.

    “Men can cook too”

    God Bless you and your beautiful family,
    – Dave

      1. Hi Christi,

        BUTTER BEAN UPDATE:
        I checked without success in every grocery store in Prescott (pop. 40,000 people) for Butter Beans (either dried or canned). Eureka ! I found a dozen cans on the shelf in our miniature Walmart. So maybe in other parts of the country that are “Butter Bean Challenged”, try checking Walmart. I now have a bunch of cans in the pantry to make the Craven Beans recipe and Walmart is nearly out of canned Butter Beans 🙂

        I must thank you again for this marvelous recipe !! Craven Beans are a major hit !! I intend to make a regular treat for our dinners. By the way, Craven Beans freeze very well and I thaw them out in the refrigerator for around 24 hours. This recipe makes a bunch and for 2 people it would take a long time to finish, fear not, freeze it! I noticed no degradation in flavor and a very minor degradation in texture.

        I have made it twice, once on the electric stove in a 1920’s Griswold Dutch Oven and once in a Boston Bean Crock in my Sun Oven (solar oven). The second time I fried (browned on stove) the hot dogs whole, then cut them into “coins” and fried the cut ends (Yum!) I think the hot dog browning adds an extra element of flavor to an already magnificent recipe (love that Maillard reaction for extra flavor).

        I read all the comments to your recipes and I must say again, great cooks on this website. This website is a “treasure chest” of great ideas. You are a true epicurean genius in the kitchen.

        I see a lot of folks suggest adding bacon to this recipe; sounds good to me. I would fry it first before adding to the beans (maybe half a bacon package cut into small pieces, maybe even accidently spill a little bacon grease into the beans; Opps! )

        – “Vaya Con Dios” (Go with God), Dave

  3. Oh my! These sound great. Now that the 4th is over I can use up the last of the weenies that were grilled. I sure hope they don’t catch that poor girl who’s offing her relatives to get the beans! Bless her heart…Thanks for another great recipe, Christy.
    “May the blessings of each day
    Be the blessings you need most”.

  4. Christy, thanks for another great recipe! I keep learning more and more from you. I had never even heard of butter beans, but I found one brand (Goya) at my local supermarket. No one in my family has ever made anything like this. The closest thing is that when I make hotdogs, I usually serve some Bush’s Baked Beans on the side. My husband really loves them, so I knew he’d like this dish. I made it tonight and it was a hit! I used four hotdogs and, in addition to the beans you have listed, I added a can of our new favorite beans, Bush’s Sweet Heat Beans (we love hot stuff). I served it with cornbread and a salad. What a great dinner! Thanks!! (Btw, I think my husband loves you. Ha ha.) ;p

      1. Christy, the Bush’s Sweet Heat Beans are the best. I like them much more than the other ones. The can says it’s a limited edition, so I’m assuming they just made them for the summer. But, with their popularity I’m hoping they’ll make them all year.

        By the way, I forgot to mention that I cut the brown sugar in this recipe down from 3/4 cup to 1/2 a cup based on one of the comments above. Even with the extra can of beans that I added, I think it was plenty sweet. I just wanted to mention that in case anyone was wondering.

  5. Hi Christy…. thanks so much for your heavenly recipes and stories… As for Craving Beans.. awesome!! I have been using my grans recipe that she passed onto me years ago (35).. we use bacon (oh and the more the better—-lol).. maple syrup, kethcup, brown sugar, hot sauce and slow cook for 6-8 on low in the crock.. this is a staple at all gatherings.. every barbeque and all holidays… they have been lovingly called “Bobby Junes Beans” after my gran!!! LOVE LOVE me some beans!!!

  6. Hi Christie,
    We love this recipe at my house too (I got it from your cookbook)! If I am in a hurry I throw in a package of “Lil Smokies” – no need to cut them up :). Thanks for all of the recipes and the stories!

  7. I love giving my husband easy recipes to try. He loves beans so I knew this would be a winner. He absolutely loves them. In Canada I could not find butter beans but Google said they were lima beans so we used them instead. I am sure this will be a new go to recipe for years to come. Thanks again for another delicious recipe.

    1. Thanks! LOL I’m in Canada too and was just going to Google “butter beans” myself. You saved me the effort. I thought they were lima beans but wasn’t sure.

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