BBQ Bacon Baked Beans

Ever since making these beans a few years ago, my family requests them at nearly every cookout. The recipe takes regular old canned baked beans and transforms them into true, old-fashioned baked beans with the addition of a few mix-ins and a crispy blanket of spicy candied bacon, baked low-and-slow.

As I'm typing this, my casserole is finishing in the oven and I wish I could bottle up the smell to share with you! The next best thing is to share the recipe so you can make it yourself. Well, I'm running late (as always) for our Fourth of July cookout, so I'd better go get ready. Happy Birthday America!

Ingredients:

10 strips smoked thick sliced bacon

1 large green pepper

1 large yellow onion

3 28 oz cans Bush's Best original baked beans

1 cup Sweet Baby Ray's original barbecue sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed, plus extra for topping

1/3 cup Bragg organic apple cider vinegar

1 tsp dry mustard, or 2 tbsp prepared mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Bacon topping:
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp smoked sea salt (optional)​

Preheat oven to 300° and position rack in center of oven. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside..

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Cut the bacon strips in half crosswise and cook in a large skillet over medium heat until a good amount of fat is rendered - about 4 minutes per side - and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

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Dice pepper and onion. Saute in rendered bacon fat over medium heat until peppers are bright green and onions are translucent - about 7 minutes. Make sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bacon. 

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Drain and rinse one can of beans in a colander. Add the rinsed beans along with the other 2 cans of beans+sauce to the skillet with the vegetables.

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In a separate bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, and cayenne and add that to the skillet. Cook over medium heat until bubbly, then transfer to prepared baking dish.

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Top the beans with the bacon. Brush the tops with maple syrup. Combine all remaining bacon topping ingredients and sprinkle evenly over bacon.      

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Bake at 300° for 3 hours until bean mixture has thickened and bacon is crispy. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.