Smoky sweet and spicy, laced with bacon and a little sausage – these beans!
Did I ever tell you Mr. EN loves watching sports? Football, basketball, baseball… golf… you name it and he’ll watch it live or on TV. But you know what he really likes even more than watching sports? Going to tailgate parties and eating quintessential tailgate food like these smoky, sweet and spicy, almost homemade Tailgate Baked Beans.
To me, to be superbly baked beans you have to get the texture right and this recipe nails it with just the right amount of smashed and semi-smashed beans, sticky sweet sauce, and just a touch of hit. Bonus: these beans are extra easy to prepare; just toss everything together, pop them in a Dutch oven and watch ‘em bake.
The Nutrition 411
These Tailgate Beans are…
- High in fiber. One cup provides a whopping 11-14 grams of fiber. That’s more than half of the fiber women need in a day and over 1/3 for men.
- Freezable! Make a big batch and divide them into freeze safe plastic bags or containers. when you want to eat them just pull a bag out of the freezer, thaw and reheat with a little broth or water until hot.
- A good source of protein.
- Gluten free.
Prep Tips
- Make these vegan. Just leave out the meat and in its place add ½ cup each, chopped red and green pepper.
- Test for heat. Depending on your taste buds these beans might be a bit hot. Taste before adding the hot pepper sauce and remember red pepper flakes get hotter as they cook.
- Don’t have stone ground mustard? No sweat. Any prepared mustard will work.
What are you bringing to your next Big 10 tailgate? Are you a Spartan, a Badger, a Buckeye or something else? No matter what colors you wear, football fans of all types – even Wolverines – will adore these Tailgate Beans.
Peace, love and good eats; from our empty nest to yours.
Trending in the EN Kitchen:
Mr. EN’s Take on This Recipe: Bring on the meat! Next time you could add a little more sausage, couldn’t you?
Tailgate Beans
Yield 8-10 Servings
Ingredients
- 4 bacon strips, chopped
- 2 hot Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed and crumbled
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cans (15.5 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup packed, dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 3 tablespoons stone ground or country-style mustard
- 2 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons hot pepper sauce e.g. Franks or Tabasco
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- On the stove top, over medium heat, cook bacon in a dutch oven or a large pot until crispy. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.
- Add the crumbled sausage and diced onion to the dutch oven/pot and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent, and the sausage is no longer pink. Drain excess fat if necessary.
- Return the bacon to the dutch oven and stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.
- Place in oven; bake, covered 50-60 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 350 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 3 g | 5% | |
Saturated Fat 1 g | 5% | |
Sodium 802 mg | 33% | |
Total Carbohydrates 64 g | 21% | |
Dietary Fiber 11 g | 44% | |
Protein 15 g | 30% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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