We had an end of summer cookout, and I came upon this baked beans recipe when I was looking for another side dish. I have never been a fan of baked beans, but I did actually enjoy these! I found this on Joy the Baker’s website, and modified it, but not very much (left out the bell pepper and ketchup). They were definitely a hit at the cookout!

• 2 cups dried navy beans
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or water (plus more if the sauce feels dry)
• 4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked to crisp and coarsely chopped
• 1 small onion, diced (about 3/4 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup good-quality root beer
• 1/3 cup BBQ sauce
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Place navy beans in a large pot or bowl and cover with water. Enough water that covers about 3-inches over the beans. Allow to soak overnight then drain.

Heat a large, oven-safe pot over medium heat. Add soaked and drained beans and 6 cups of broth or water. Bring to a simmer and simmer uncovered for 1 hour.

In a separate saucepan, over medium heat cook bacon slices until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp. Remove from the pan (leaving the fat in the pan), and place on a plate and set aside. Add the onions and garlic to the bacon fat and cook until just browned. Set aside.

While the beans simmer and the bacon and onions cook, stir together the bean sauce. In a medium bowl whisk together root beer, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, maple syrup, molasses, Dijon, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350.

In the large saucepan combine simmered beans and their liquid, cooked onion mixture, the chopped bacon, and sauce. Cover the pot with an oven-safe lid and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F, uncover and return to the oven and cook for 1 hour. Replace the lid reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees F and cook for an additional 2 hours or until the beans are cooked through. Add more salt or pepper to taste. Add more chicken stock or water to thin the mixture if it reduces too much.

Original recipe: https://joythebaker.com/2018/07/root-beer-baked-beans/#tasty-recipes-39533-jump-target