In lieu of the monster family dinner this weekend to celebrate a holiday only our mother believes in but we’re as much as forced to go along with, my brother and I decided our immediate families would do the food.

He and his fiance are bringing fresh veg and potato salad, the girls and I are bringing honey-mustard ham, homemade pull-apart dinner rolls and baked beans from the recipe below.

Mmmm. Yes, well. Lost track of my thoughts in a puddle of drool there…

Slow Cooked Wild Irish Baked Beans

Ingredients

3 slices very thick bacon (special order 1/4″ if need be)
2 onions, finely diced
9 c navy beans
1/2 c ketchup
1/2 c barbecue sauce
1 can Guinness Stout
1/4 c packed Muscovado (or dark brown) sugar
1/4 tsp Keen’s ground mustard
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 c molasses
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp rough ground black pepper

Directions

The night before, set the beans to soak in enough water to cover, replacing as needed.

Cut the bacon into 1/2″ pieces, and fry until crisp, draining on a paper towel. Use a second towel to then crumble them up a bit. Set aside in a small bowl. Lightly brown the onions in the drippings, and add to the bacon.

Strain the beans, rinsing once or twice to remove all of the loose bits. Add them to a large slow cooker with the remaining ingredients, and give it a stir. Cook on high for 3 hours, add the bacon and onions, and cook for another 6 hours on low, stirring occasionally. Check at 10 hours total, and see if the beans are cooked; if they are not, give them a good stir and continue on low for another hour, check again, and so on.

If you’ve never had home-baked beans before, they are a little firmer than store bought canned, so keep that in mind.

Good hot or cold!

’til next week, if I haven’t exploded from yummy…
<3 JL