Memorial Day weekend is coming up and that means three things: The Indianapolis 500, Irish Fest at Gaelic Park, and cookouts.
I’m a big fan of cookout food, especially baked beans. But I’ve never found a storebought baked bean product I’ve really liked, and most homemade versions I’ve tried have lacked oomph.
I think baked beans should stand up and poke you in the eye with their barbeque flavor. With this barbeque baked beans recipe that I modified from this one I found on the excellent How Sweet It Is blog, your baked beans will be noticed at your weekend holiday cookout.
It’s bold. It’s brassy. It’ probably gassy. But it’s super delicious and your guests won’t soon forget it.
Plus, you can make it in the crock pot. Bonus!
Barbeque Baked Beans
1 lb Navy beans, dry
10 slices bacon
1 White Onion, medium dice
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
2 cups Water
3/4 cup Barbeque Sauce (Any kind, I use Sweet Baby Ray’s)
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Ketchup
2 TBS Molasses
1/2 cup Kentucky Bourbon (I used fake Jake Daniel’s)
1-1/2 TBS Dry Mustard
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1. Place beans in a large pot and cover with water. Soak at least 4 hours up to overnight. Drain, return beans to pot, cover in water again and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 1 hour. Remove from heat, drain again, then pour out onto a sheet pan to cool.
2. Cook bacon slices in cast iron skillet. When all the bacon is cooked, chop it into small peices and set aside. Drain all but 1 TBS of the bacon grease from the pan, then return it to the fire and add onions. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes to carmelize, stirring frequently. Add garlic for the last minute, then remove from heat.
3. In a crock pot, combine water, bourbon, brown sugar, barbeque sauce, ketchup, dry mustard, vinegar, molasses and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in beans, onions and bacon. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. When cooking cycle is over, leave crock pot on the warm setting for at least an hour so the beans can thicken up really nicely.
These beans are miraculous. I served mine with jalapeno cornbread and the pairing was so rich it could have been a meal in itself.
This recipe makes a large batch, so there will be plenty to share. They can be reheated the next day and in fact will taste even better. If you have an electrical connection in your backyard, bring the whole crock pot outside and keep your beans warm until you are ready to serve them.
What Memorial Day/beginning of summer food rituals do you look forward to every year? Share your story in the comments section below. And thank you for supporting my blog!
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