Amber Ale Baked Beans
Submitted by Bobbi Hill on Apr 24, 2009

Just a little bacon gives a lot of flavor to this classic barbecue side, especially when you add it to sweet caramelized onions and a bottle of slightly fruity and malty ale.

Servings:
9

Complexity:   
Easy

Total Time:
1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups water
4 (16-oz.) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 bay leaves
1 (14-oz.) can chicken broth
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
2 or 3 thick bacon slices (uncooked), chopped
2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 2 medium)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. chili powder
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 (12-oz.) bottle amber ale (such as Full Sail)
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300ºF.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Drain over a large bowl; reserve cooking liquid. Discard onion and bay leaves.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 Tbsp. drippings in pan; set bacon aside. Add chopped onion to drippings in pan; cook 10 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized, stirring frequently. Add garlic and chili powder to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add ketchup and next 5 ingredients (through ale) and 1/2 cup reserved bean liquid to pan; bring to a boil. Add beans and bacon. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until slightly thick. Transfer to a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300º for 45 minutes or until thick.