Last night, I had a conversation with my mother on the phone. It went as follows.
“Why didn’t you answer when I called you a minute ago? What are you doing over there?” Mom asked.
“I was eating my beans.” I said as I scraped my plate clean.
“You couldn’t answer the phone because you were eating your beans? Are you by yourself?” Mom questioned.
“Yes.” I said. “I’m just over here eating my beans!”
(pause)
“…Jennifer? I think it’s time for you to come home.”
I know sometime over the past three years, I must have blogged about my mom’s sweet and spicy barbecue beans recipe.
I’ve eaten in probably forty times since I’ve known all of you and have been known to sit at home by myself and eat plate after plate.
They’re just that good.
Quite simply, they’re the meal I reach for after particularly delicious weekends involving a plethora of wine, beef chili, garlic fries and pizza.
I like to think that eating kale counteracts all previous (not so healthy) food decisions.
These beans are also full of onion, garlic and hot sauce. I mean, really…what more do you need? Besides a pack of mints, that is.
I like to serve them as a meal by themselves or alongside pulled chicken or roast pork.
The saucy secret?
Yeah, baby.
Mom’s Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Beans
serves 4-6
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
8 cups chopped kale (I don’t measure–I just chop a huge bunch!)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, minced
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (Stubbs is recommended)
2 tsp hot sauce
1/2 cup warm water
2 T cider vinegar
2 T dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1 T olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute for about six minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and saute for another two minutes.
Add the chopped kale and cook for a few minutes, tossing frequently. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Bake beans, covered, in a nine inch glass pan (or casserole dish) for forty five minutes.
**these beans freeze extremely well!
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{ 73 comments… read them below or add one }
We love Stubbs! This may actually get me to eat kale in a form other than chips.
of course they’re good if they have stubb’s bbq sauce in them
i can’t wait to make them, and i love that they have kale in there too!
I will definitely be trying out this recipe.
Looks delish!
I’m in love with baked beans. I just ate a big bowl of them yesterday for lunch- slow cooked with molasses, brown sugar, and pork!
Thanks for the recipe!
great~ I have all the ingredients and I agree, Stubbs rocks.
Thanks Jenna’s Mom!
On my to-make list, whoop!
Oh yes, you have blogged about them in the past. I’ve made them. They’re delicious
Looks like now I’ll have to make them again!
I am with you about kale! I also think of spinach smoothies as undoing, say, cake. It feels that way, anyway.
So making these tonight! Instead of having to buy a bottle of cider vinegar though, could I use a white wine vinegar? Thanks!
I love Stubbs!!! I’ve had some kitchen failures the past few days, so i’m looking for a mess free meal and it looks like this is it! Thank you
Maybe I can actually gain my confidence back in the kitchen!
Any recipe that starts out with “Mom’s…” is sure to be a hit. Are you heading home for Christmas? (I hope you are!) I finished finals yesterday and am heading home today. Can’t wait to just talk and talk with my mom in the kitchen. It’s one of my favorite things to do
Ive been dreaming of bbq beans for days now. I swear you read my mind sometimes!
I’ve never heard of Stubbs and might need to acquire some soon.
Look delicious! For the barbecue sauce, is it 1/2 a cup? Love those recipes from mom
yes ~ or more if you like
I feel the same way about kale – it’s a wonderfood!
I love baked beans but never make them. My hubs thinks he “doesn’t like beans” but little does he know, I add beans to plenty of things that I feed him…haha!
I need to get on the baked beans bandwagon, clearly. And I love hot sauce so this would be perfect for me!
Tell your mama great recipe!
YUM. making these asap!
is that supposed to be 1/2 cups of stubbs?
I love when your mom calls you Jennifer…errr when you write that she does.
I’ve never been a big fan of baked beans, but these might change my mind! In fact, I wouldn’t even eat beans until a post you did awhile ago about just eating them with some olive oil and salt or something similar? Now I eat beans all the time
I had no idea your name was Jennifer (although I’m not really sure why I’m surprised!) These beans sound amazing. And with kale? Even better!
Those look delicious! Love white beans with kale.
Also…this conversation sounds oddly familiar. haha I get this or…”Your blog has been really good recently…lots of recipes… You need to get out more …come home.”
This sounds so comforting – love it!
beans are awesome. so is stubbs. And I totally “get” why its not possible to answer the phone, even when your enjoying a meal all by yourself…i sure feel the same!
love,
cathy b. @ brightbakes
YUM. I just added these to my ever growing recipes I have to try from ELR!
I love that there is kale added in the recipe! Looks great!
I love that there is kale added in the recipe! Looks great!
Yum! I have to try this!
i’ve made these several times since you first posted them and I love them to pieces! best recipe ever! mmmmmmmmm….
These beans look great. honestly, anything with cannellini beans I will eat.
I make a beans and chili dish (pinto beans with green chili) that my mom would make for me when I get homesick. Somehow, it just made me feel like I was closer to NM even when I lived in Germany and now Washington.
That sounds fantastic! And everything is better with Stubbs! Everything!
This is my kind of meal! I love Kale, especially with white beans, and I also love BBQ sauce on greens (I usually go for collard greens topped with BBQ sauce along side BBQ Chicken.) I’m definitely going to give this recipe a try!
A ‘pack of mints’ is always good advice
i absolutely love homemade baked beans, this version looks great
Yum! Seems like a rational reason not to answer the phone to me. I’ll call you back after my beans!
these look so good! i was just trying to think of something to make for dinner tonight! these will definitely work.
Sounds hearty, healthy and delicious. Thanks for the recipe. They look good (ive also been trying to find a way to involve Kale in my meals–this helps hehe).
My French Aunt Simmie would say ‘BaaaZizz & full of beans’. Have no idea what it means. But often the tinkle of daiquiris being mixed & Yves Montand records playing in the background would accompany her saying it. So BaaZizz Jenn-i-fer your beans sound delish.
jenna! 2 questions:
1) do you think halving this recipe would work ok?
2) do you think the taste would be better enough to make it worth using dry beans instead of canned?
thanks!
1. Yes
2. Yes and yes!
I can’t stand barbecue sauce. I always hate it when my husband eats it because it makes the WHOLE house smell like it. Ok, off to make this for my husband!!
I don’t see how I can NOT make these ASAP.
you crack me up.
my mom called once and i was sitting on the floor eating refried beans. she said she was worried about me, haha
hope you’re having a good day <3
I’ve been looking for more things to throw kale into and this fits the bill! It’s the perfect side dish to meat entrees. Love it and saving it!
LOVED this recipe
Officially on the “to make” roster for next week
Never seen Stubbs around, so will have to substitute!
I haven’t seen Stubb’s either- is it available nationally and I just haven’t noticed it? Are we talking tangier/spicer/sweeter? (You know, just in case I need to substitute
)
Ah! I feel so alone and in the dark! How have I never heard of Stubb’s? And how can I get my hands on a jar stat?!
Love the kale in this recipe; fabulous Jenna!
That’s a cute conversation with your mom!! Haha thanks for the smile
HAHAHAHA that conversation you had with your Mom has me in stitches!!!! Hilarious
wish you were in my class when I was there, you’re hot!
These look wonderful. They will be eaten by me very soon! I think I could eat barbeque sauce on anything
Brilliant! I love this. Must make.
haha definitely worth not answering the phone!
Cute story. Yummy beans!
omg that convo between your Mom and you seriously cracked me up. I don’t even know you, but I can just picture it!
Beans look awesome!
omg that convo between your Mom and you seriously cracked me up. I don’t even know you, but I can just picture it!
Beans look awesome!
Made this last night! It was delicious! I’m not a spicy -food person like you, Jenna so I used mild Stubbs and half the hot sauce. Perfection
Lol! Mom’s are the best
I made these last night for the first time and the beans were DELICIOUS!! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe! Can’t wait to eat some leftovers for lunch!
I made these last night and they are FABULOUS! Thank you for the recipe
I just finished making these, and after a wise decision to use sesame oil instead of olive oil but follow the rest precisely (cept’ I like my Bone Suckin’ sauce), I must give props to your mom. This was NOMgasmic. Love your blog, keep on cooking!
aaaaaahhhh I can not stop eating these beans they are SOFA. KING. DELICIOUS. I think this is going to go in the REPERTOIRE! Love-love-loving your blog!
I made these last night and they were absolutely amazing. Do you think they would work in a slow cooker overnight?
mmm thank you for this recipe! i made them for the first time last month, and always keep a batch on hand now! GREAT as a salad topper, and taste even better the next day!
Could this be made with different beans? In an old post, it looked like your beans were darker colored. Thanks! I can’t wait to try making it
This recipe is delicious! I had it the other day over a baked sweet potato with chopped up broccoli, and then yesterday between two slices of wheat toast! Bean sandwiches rock. Then I had the last bit with sauteed zucchini. SOOOOO GOOOOD! I can’t wait to make it again!
Love Love Love these! I tried making them previously with frozen kale…fail! But I made them last night with fresh Kale and used a mix of kidney and cannelli beans—Delicous! Thanks for Sharing your mom’s secrets with us!
I’ve made these several times now and love them! So tasty and a great way to sneak in kale. My husband devours them. Thank you Jenna’s mom!
I just made these too. So delicious, we had them in curry wraps with some roast chicken leftovers – oh my, so good.
I made the beans today for dinner. AWESOME! I made them with spinach because in my country (honduras) you cant find kale.
I made these last night and they were very much enjoyed and appreciated! Thank you
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