In place of canned beans, you can make it using dried beans. Make sure to soak them prior. It will of course take longer to cook so make sure you read the directions on the bag. You'll need about 2 cups of dried great northern beans. There are factors you should consider when using this recipe with dried great northern beans, however. Sometimes when cooking with dried beans, they can remain a bit hard after they are cooked. Some of the factors are from using old beans, poor quality beans or adding acid (like lemon juice) to them too early, prohibiting them from swelling.