Bourbon Baked Beans and Sausage

                                                    © Can Stock Photo / fudio
 

By Jim Hingst

When I was a kid, one of the half dozen family dinners that my mother would regularly make was beans and franks. It simply consisted of a few cans of pork and beans with hot dogs cooked together in a casserole. We always had plenty to eat, but we never eagerly awaited beans and franks night. It was just ordinary.

 

The bourbon baked beans described below are certainly not ordinary. Because this recipe is made from scratch, preparing the meal is a little more involved than opening a few cans. The extra effort results in a lot more flavor and a spicy kick to the meal. Even if you have never liked baked beans, this will be a delicious side dish for your next barbeque.

 

This bourbon baked beans dish uses diced sweet potato as a sweetener. The amounts of molasses and brown sugar have been cut in half compared to traditional recipes. Sweet potatoes are a much healthier alternative.  These tubers are packed with antioxidants, vitamins A, C, B3, B5 and B6 along with manganese, magnesium and copper. Sweet potatoes also contain potassium, which can help lower your blood pressure.

 

Adding more beans to your diet is an inexpensive source of protein and can also help lower cholesterol. In fact, regularly eating this heart-healthy food can also reduce plaque build-up in your arteries.

 

Ingredients

6 strips of thick cut bacon

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced (As a milder and sweeter alternative to jalapenos, you can replace them with Cubanelle peppers or green bell peppers.)

2 ribs of celery, diced

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced (optional)

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound of smoked sausage, sliced into ¼ inch pieces

1 pound of navy beans soaked in salted water for 24 hours

1 cup (8 ounces) BBQ sauce

1 can beef broth

2 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ cup bourbon whiskey

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon soy sauce                     

Directions

Soak one pound bag of dried navy beans in 9 cups of salted water for 24 hours.  The salt will help soften the outer skin of the bean and at the same time prevent the bean from splitting open during cooking. One pound package of dried beans is equivalent to three to four 15-ounce cans of beans. After soaking the beans, be sure to thoroughly rinse them.

 

Fry 6 strips of bacon on low to render some of the fat. Do not cook until it is crisp. You will want the bacon to be somewhat flexible.

 

Pour the bacon fat into a clean container for use later. Do not pour it down the kitchen sink drain.

 

Sauté the onions, celery and peppers in 2 tablespoons of bacon fat until the onions become translucent. Add the minced garlic and continue to sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

 

Add the spices to the pan. Mix with the onion, peppers and garlic. Heat for a minute on medium heat until the spices become fragrant. 

 

You can also sauté the diced sweet potato in olive oil and butter. This will caramelize the starches turning them into sugar. Be careful not to burn the sweet potato.

 

Transfer the sauteed vegetables with spices into your slow cooker.

 

Lightly brown the diced sausage in 2 tablespoons of bacon fat. Add to the slow cooker. Deglaze the pan with a can of beef broth.

 

Add the beans and other remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook for 6 to 8 hours until the beans are tender. You can also cook the beans in a Dutch oven on your BBQ grill, which will give the beans a smoky flavor. The beans need to cook at least for a few hours so the various flavors blend together. Occasionally, stir the beans to prevent them from burning and test the beans for doneness. 

 

If the beans are too soupy, continue to cook until you achieve the desired consistency. You can also puree a cup of the beans in a blender or using an immersion blender. On the other hand, if the beans and sausage mixture become too thick, add more beef broth.

 

Remove and discard the bay leaf before serving. 

Try these other Signpost Recipes

The Best Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

The Best Beef and Cheese Enchiladas

The Best Hot Dog Toppings

Grilled Buffalo Wings

Armadillo Eggs

Meatloaf Burgers

Beer Brats

 

Bon Appetite!

About Jim Hingst: Sign business authority on vehicle wraps, vinyl graphics, screen printing, marketing, sales, gold leaf, woodcarving and painting. 

After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.

Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer.  Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.

Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 190 articles for  publications, such as  Signs Canada, SignCraft,  Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and  Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 500 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.  Vinyl Sign Techniques is available at sign supply distributors and at Amazon. 

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