Craving Beans
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Craving Beans is a down-home dish that mixes baked beans with slices of hot dogs. It’s a simple, hearty meal that’s perfect for when you’re craving something comforting and easy to whip up.
Craving Beans is the perfect comfort food that takes you right back to childhood. This easy dish mixes baked beans with juicy hot dog slices for a hearty meal that’s quick to whip up and always satisfying. It’s great for feeding the family or making a simple weeknight dinner.
What makes Craving Beans so special is how simple and tasty it is. The beans soak up all the flavors from the hot dogs, creating a savory and slightly sweet combo that’s just delicious. Plus, it’s super easy to make—just throw everything in a pot, let it simmer, and you’re done. This dish is more than just food; it’s a nostalgic reminder of home and comfort in every bite.
What You’ll Need to Make Craving Beans:
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
*In the recipe below, you’ll notice that you don’t have to stick to one certain size of baked beans.
How to Make Craving Beans:
Put everything in a 5-6 quart slow cooker or dutch oven…
…stir them together…
…and let that sit and simmer on medium heat, uncovered, for about 30 minutes until thick.
And there you have it! The most delicious, easy recipe ever!
Serve warm in a bowl with some cornbread and you have an amazing, easy meal that you will crave! Delicious!
Commonly Asked Questions about Craving Beans:
Can I use any type of beans? While baked beans are the traditional choice, you can experiment with other beans like navy beans or kidney beans for a different flavor and texture.
Do I need to cook the hot dogs beforehand? No need to cook the hot dogs beforehand. Just slice them up and toss them in with the beans. They’ll cook through as the dish simmers.
Can I add other ingredients? Absolutely! Feel free to add ingredients like onions, bell peppers, or even a bit of barbecue sauce to give the dish extra flavor.
How long does it take to make Craving Beans? It’s a quick dish that takes about 15-20 minutes to prepare and cook, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
Can I use a crock pot to make Craving Beans? Yes! Just add all the ingredients to the crock pot, cover it and cook until it’s bubbly and thick, usually 7-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.
Can I make Craving Beans ahead of time? Yes, you can make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to three days. Just reheat it on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
What should I serve with Craving Beans? Craving Beans pairs well with cornbread, a simple green salad, or even over rice for a more filling meal.
Is this dish kid-friendly? Definitely! Kids usually love the combination of beans and hot dogs, making it a family-friendly meal option.
Can I make a vegetarian version? Sure thing! Just swap out the hot dogs for a vegetarian alternative or leave them out altogether and add more veggies or some smoked tofu for flavor.
How can I store leftovers? Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for about 3 days, and you can reheat them on the stove or in the microwave.
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
You’ll also like these recipes with beans:
Red Beans and Rice Recipe Louisiana Style from Hello Fresh
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.
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
Thank you for the great explanation Dave!! May God Bless you and your family as well!!!
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
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”.
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
I am so glad you and your family liked them Samantha!!! I keep hearing about these new sweet heat beans, I am going to have to try them out!!!
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.
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!!!
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!
🙂 So glad you enjoy them!!!
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.
I am so glad to hear they were a hit at your house Sandy!!!
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.
They don’t really taste or look like Limas as I think of them but Limas will work as a substitution 🙂