Croatian Baked Beans! Zapečeni Grah

smoked sausage

🥗Healthier: turkey sausage

💰Cheaper: pork sausage

Turkey sausage reduces calories while maintaining flavor.

dried beans

🥗Healthier: canned beans

💰Cheaper: canned beans

Canned beans save time and are often more affordable.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Avocado oil offers health benefits while being versatile.

tomato paste

🥗Healthier: fresh tomatoes

💰Cheaper: canned tomatoes

Fresh tomatoes provide a lighter flavor and are often cheaper.

Welcome to the Croatian kitchen; today we're making Croatian baked beans.

Using canned beans for convenience, but fresh beans can be soaked overnight and cooked longer before baking.

The creator uses a non-ceramic baking tray due to size constraints, but mentions ceramic is preferred for heat distribution.

The ingredients include 500 grams of brown beans, which are similar to pinto beans.

Chop 1 onion and mince 3 cloves of garlic; the original recipe did not include garlic, but the creator adds it for flavor.

Add 1/2 cup of bacon (or any dried meat) to the pan.

Use about 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce for flavor, but not too much to overpower the beans.

Add 1 tablespoon of flour to thicken the beans slightly.

Season with salt, black pepper, and paprika; the creator emphasizes the importance of these spices.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).

Melt a little less than a tablespoon of lard in the pan and add the bacon to render the fat.

Cook the bacon on low heat until it starts to brown, then add the chopped onion and cover to steam until translucent (about 5 minutes).

After a few minutes, stir the onions; they should be golden but not browned.

Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.

Add the drained beans to the pot and stir everything together for about 1 minute.

Add in the tomato sauce, a pinch of salt, black pepper, paprika (about 2 teaspoons), and flour (1 tablespoon).

Stir everything well and let it cook for another minute.

Turn off the heat and transfer the mixture to the baking tray.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a crust forms on top.

After 20 minutes, check the beans; the top should be crispy while the bottom remains soft.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: