Loaded Baked Bean Casserole with Bacon

By Sprig Originals ✓ · with credit

Adapted from simpleseasonal.com

A big, bubbling dish of baked beans layered with bacon, sweet onion and green pepper, sweetened with dark brown sugar and sharpened with mustard and vinegar. It bakes low and slow until thick and glossy, holds beautifully at room temperature, and feeds a crowd from a single pan.

Ingredients

• 1 lb bacon
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 cups sweet onion, chopped
• 1 cup green pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 28 oz cans homestyle baked beans
• 2 15.5 oz cans butter beans, drained but not rinsed
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Lay the bacon out in a single layer, slices close together but not overlapping, and bake 15–20 minutes until golden and just crisp. Work in two batches if the strips won't fit. Drain on paper towels.
2. While the bacon cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped sweet onion and green pepper and cook 4–5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion turns translucent at the edges. Slide off the heat and set aside.
3. In a 3-quart baking dish, stir together the baked beans, drained butter beans, brown sugar, ketchup, spicy brown mustard, Worcestershire, apple cider vinegar, garlic, chili powder and cayenne if you want a little heat. Fold in the cooked onion and pepper, stirring gently so the beans stay whole.
4. Lay the bacon strips over the surface in an even layer. Set the dish on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any bubble-overs.
5. Bake at 350°F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The beans will start bubbling well before they're finished — keep going until the sauce is thick, dark and glossy and the edges are caramelized.
6. Let the casserole rest 5–10 minutes before serving. It's just as good warm or at room temperature.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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