I make baked beans all the time and this is a good recipe. The B&M beans are in a molasses and sugar type sauce and the cheese is a block of processed "American" cheese, quite soft and easy to melt. You don't really need the cheese and you can substitute other beans, like butter beans and/or lima beans. I have heated the beans in a saucepan on a top burner, in the over and in a slow cooker. All are good.