Bacon, onion and brown sugar transform this humble bean into a side dish you'll adore.
Prep Time:5 minutesmins
Cook Time:2 hourshrs30 minutesmins
Total Time:2 hourshrs35 minutesmins
Equipment
large stockpot
Ingredients
5bacon slicesdiced
1small onionminced
½cupbrown sugar
1poundfrozen butter beansor baby lima beans
¼cupbutter
12cupswater
2teaspoonssalt
1teaspoonblack pepper
Instructions
Cook the bacon and onion. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, cook the bacon and onion for 5-7 minutes until the onion is soft and most of the fat is rendered. Add the brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes (just until the sugar dissolves).
Add the beans, butter, and liquid. Add the beans and butter and stir until the butter is melted and coats the beans. Add the water.
Simmer. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The beans are done when they are very tender, and the liquid is slightly thickened. The beans should just poke above the liquid in the pot. Add salt and pepper when cooking time is done.
Notes
Remember to save the salt and pepper for the end. Beans cooked too long in salty water will become tough.