I tried Nick Saban’s famous baked beans recipe, and he should really stick to football

I think he’s the best college football coach of all time. I also think he’s not a chef.

I’m going to start by saying I love Nick Saban. I’m not one of those University of Alabama football fans on the bandwagon because I live in Alabama. I grew up immersed in the fandom because of my father, who is, to put it mildly, obsessed with The University of Alabama (and has an undergraduate and law degree from it). I graduated from The University in 2017, so I was a student for some of Saban’s prime coaching and winning years. While at school, I attended the same Catholic church where he and his wife Terry, who goes by "Miss Terry," helped fund the Saban Catholic Student Center. His famous love of Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies even inspired one of my favorite desserts to bake and take to friends. 

When he retired, I was sad, of course. But watching him on College GameDay every Saturday morning makes me smile. It’s always been fun to see his lighter, giggly side, and apparently, no one brings that out more than his cohost Pat McAfee. On a recent showing of GameDay, the recipe for "Nick’s Favorite Baked Beans" resurfaced. It was originally published in 1990 in the second annual Seasoned Greetings Celebrity Cookbook to benefit the Lucas County Special Olympics in Ohio, where Saban was head coach at the University of Toledo at the time. The recipe went viral for all the wrong reasons. 

I want to repeat: I love Nick Saban. I think he’s the best college football coach of all time. I also think he’s not a chef.

After seeing the segment on TV, my coworker (an Auburn alum) asked me if I wanted to make Nick Saban’s baked beans recipe and write about it. Absolutely, I did! Then I saw the written recipe and immediately regretted accepting the assignment. 

The Ingredients

Saban’s "Favorite" baked beans recipe starts with 1 large (53 ¼-oz.) can Pork ’N Beans. Makes sense. No word about draining or not, so we’re going all in on ’em. Next: 1 ½ lbs. hamburger (i.e. ground beef). A pound and a half? I told my husband these baked beans might as well be dinner because they were going to be filling. Next, ⅓ cup each chopped onion (yep), green pepper (sure), carrots (hold up…), and celery (...what the what?). The massive serving of ground beef threw me a bit as I pictured the consistency of the recipe, but the carrots and celery nearly caused me to fall out on my kitchen floor. But I had to keep reading: ½ cup ketchup (standard), ⅓ cup brown sugar (good), salt and pepper (a given), and finally, ½ cup medium salsa (911, what’s your emergency?). What on God’s green Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium had I agreed to?

The Instructions

The directions are far too simple for an ingredient list that calls for so many explanations. "Brown hamburger with small amount of onion, salt, and pepper." Small amount of onion? Like the ⅓ cup you told me to chop, or less than that? Make it make sense, Nick! "Drain hamburger. Combine all remaining ingredients with hamburger. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees." So the bell pepper, carrots, and celery don’t get cooked down before going in the oven, and other than cooking the onion and ground beef, we’re dumping, stirring, and baking. I was scared but tried to stay positive. "Maybe this will be one of those recipes that sounds really weird but actually works?" I suggested to my husband. "Like pineapple casserole!" He hates pineapple casserole. 

The Results

When the beans came out of the oven, the casserole dish looking back at me did not appear appetizing. Pockets of the liquid from the Pork ’N Beans had pooled at the top, and it was studded with bright orange carrot bits and lime green pieces of celery. My optimism waned. After a good stir, it started looking better, but it was so thick that it resembled Sloppy Joe filling—or one of those fancy refrigerated dog foods—more than baked beans. 

I held out hope: Maybe it would taste not horrible. The moment of truth came, and I was more underwhelmed than disappointed. It tasted like…nothing. "Do you taste anything?" I asked my husband. "It’s like the plain oatmeal of baked beans," he responded. 

When people say, "It tastes like cardboard," this is the cardboard of reference.

It wasn’t so terrible; it just wasn’t much of anything. It was sorely lacking flavor and could’ve used a lot more from the spice rack than salt and pepper. The addition of a spicy barbecue sauce, some mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and molasses or more brown sugar could’ve saved it. 

I need to say it for a third time in writing: I love me some Nick Saban, y’all. He has brought my family joy for years. He has helped so many people in Tuscaloosa. He brightens my Saturday mornings on GameDay. But I pray Saint Nick stays in the Catholic Church and out of the kitchen.

Some Better Options

A few years ago, reporter Tony Geftos was doing a story on that Toledo celebrity cookbook and posted on X (formerly Twitter) asking for advice on getting in touch with Saban to comment on the recipe. He didn’t hear from the coach, but Miss Terry did write a response: 

"Tony, 

Nick doesn’t have much to say about anything these days other than football…which is taking up all of his time..I can only respond to you by saying that the baked bean recipe is still one of Nick’s favorites, especially when I make chili dogs to go along with it…I think he would rather have baked beans and hot dogs…or spaghetti than steaks! Hope you are staying healthy and have a happy holiday season!

RTR, Ms T"

Miss Terry, the next time you and your hubby are going to have hot dog night, I have a couple of recipe suggestions that y’all might like. 

Million Dollar Baked Beans

This recipe name will remind you and Coach of The University’s beloved Million Dollar Band. Just like Nick’s recipe, it includes ground beef (though a much more manageable amount), onion, green bell pepper, ketchup, and brown sugar. However, this one packs a ton more flavor with ingredients like maple syrup, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and bacon. 

Baked Beans with Ground Beef

Again, like Nick’s favorite recipe, this one calls for ground beef (and even more than the Million Dollar Baked Beans above), ketchup, and onion. This one includes two types of beans, red bell pepper, garlic, and bacon, as well as barbecue sauce, dark brown sugar, and Dijon mustard. 

To conclude this dark day in my career, I resent my coworker for making me try this recipe and ever having to write a bad word about Saint Nick (you know who you are!).