Continuing along with some of the southern side dish recipes I have tried recently, I wanted to try something new with some baked beans so I was on the lookout for another recipe. I have tried good ones in the past but I did not want one that I had to put in the slow cooker and I wanted one that I could put in the oven with the other items I was cooking so I could have the stove top free for other things. I came across this recipe on Food Network from Jamie Deen, one of Paula Deen’s sons. I always like his recipes as he tries to keep things simple and a bit healthier when he can, so when I saw this recipe out there I knew I was going to give it a try.

Homemade Baked Beans

1 pound dried pinto beans
8 slices bacon, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 large Vidalia onion, chopped
Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Sort through the beans and pick out any dried-up beans or small pebbles and discard them. Rinse the beans well in a colander, then add them to a large Dutch oven and cover the beans with 3 inches of water. Bring the beans to a boil for 2 minutes. Cover and let the beans sit on the stove for 1 hour. Drain the beans and rinse them again. Alternatively, you could soak the beans in water overnight to achieve the same results.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Add the bacon to the same Dutch oven and cook it over medium heat, while stirring, until the bacon has rendered some of its fat, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the garlic and onions and saute until the bacon is almost crisp and the garlic and onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Season the bacon with a good pinch of salt and pepper and then stir in the chili powder, sautéing for 1 minute to toast the spice and until it is fragrant. Stir in 4 cups of water, the chicken stock, ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, yellow mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the pinto beans, bring the mixture to a simmer, cover the Dutch oven with a lid and place it in the oven for 5 hours. Check the beans every few hours to give them a stir. Add some water to the pot, only if needed, if the beans are looking dry and to prevent them from burning. The beans are ready when they are tender and the sauce is thick.

I thought this recipe was great because it makes use of the dried beans instead of canned, which I find have a lot more flavor to them. There are not many ingredients in this one and once it is under way I was pretty much able to leave it alone and let it cook since I was making these with the spare ribs I made last week, so both were in the oven and are on their own all day while I could do other things and then have dinner ready all at once. The beans had a nice flavor from the mixture of the chili powder, ketchup, molasses and sugar and we all loved them. This recipe does make a lot of beans (the website says it makes 10 servings) so you will have lots leftover to use for other meals or you could freeze some to have on hand for another time.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe as there is always plenty of cooking going on around here and I am always finding new recipes to try. until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!