Award Winning

Fat Tuesday lived up to it's name yesterday at my workplace. Sixteen cooks entered into a chili/bean cook-off. The chili selections ranged from vegetarian to road kill (please tell me that wasn't really armadillo meat). I decided to make my chipotle baked beans and they did not disappoint. In fact, they won first prize in the bean division!

Before we get to the recipe I wanted to answer a question: what are chipotle chilies? It's nothing exotic, just smoked jalapenos. The way you normally see them is canned in adobo sauce. You can find them on the Mexican food isle, or, if you are in TX, next to the other canned peppers. They are an annoying favorite of Rachel Ray and they can give a little kick to almost anything. In this recipe you can adjust the number that you use depending on your audience. For this crowd I had to kick it up a notch, but you can make a much milder version, if you want. Don't skip them, though. They really make this dish stand out from other baked bean recipes that I have tried. Oh, and unlike some of the other recipes I have posted, this one does not have a healthy alternative section. Either just have a little bit or get a defibrillator.

Chipotle Baked Beans

• 6 bacon slices (or more)
  
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (or just one huge onion)
  
• 1 1/4 cups purchased barbecue sauce (I used Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce)
  
• 3/4 cup dark beer
  
• 1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4 to 6 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chilies (I used 2 whole peppers, chopped for a kick. If you want a milder version, just use 1)
  
• 6 15- to 16-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Saute the onions in the bacon drippings. Add onions, finely chopped bacon and next 7 ingredients to bowl and whisk to blend. Whisk in chipotle chilies, depending on spiciness desired. Stir in beans. Transfer bean mixture to 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Bake uncovered until liquid bubbles and thickens slightly, about 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes.