Recipe Of The Day: Baked Beans With Bacon

A barbecue isn't truly complete without the side dishes. Sure, burgers, ribs, barbecued chicken and brats are the main attractions, but they taste even better with a salad (that isn't really salad) or grilled vegetables on the side. That's why we have the perfect baked beans recipe that pairs perfectly with everything from grilled chicken to hot dogs. (Heck, you can even put it on top of your hot dog!)

The Best Dishes to Bring to a Party

This recipe is one of our favorite things to make in a slow cooker, but you can also cook the beans at a low temperature in a large pot if you don't have one.

To go the slow cooker route, prep your slow cooker by spraying the inside with a non-stick cooking spray. Next, add pinto beans, chopped onions and pieces of uncooked bacon to the slow cooker.

In a separate small bowl, it's time to make your sauce. Mix ketchup, water, brown sugar, molasses and a combination of spices. Taste the sauce and adjust to your preference. You can toss in some cayenne, more sugar or other spices as you see fit. Pour this mixture over the beans and stir until everything in the slow cooker is coated.

Now, it's time to let the slow cooker do the work. Set your machine on low for four hours and once it's done give it a good stir before serving this dish to your guests.

It's a pretty easy recipe to follow that doesn't require a lot of steps. You can easily swap the cans of pinto beans for other beans — just use what you have on hand. You can also mix an assortment of beans together such as kidney and butter beans, but make sure you know how long to cook the beans because some may take longer to cook than others.

The weather is getting warmer so if you're looking for side dishes that don't require you to stay too long in the hot kitchen, we got your back with these no-cook side dishes that are perfect for summer barbecues and weeknight dinners.

Slow Cooker Baked Beans with Bacon

This recipe is courtesy of McCormick

Ingredients:

• 3 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 cup chopped onion

• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 cup ketchup

• 2/3 cups water

• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

• 1/4 cup molasses

• 1 tablespoon ground mustard

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions:

Step 1: Inside of a slow cooker, spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place 3 cans of pinto beans, 1 cup onion and 4 slices of chopped bacon in a slow cooker.

Step 2: In a small bowl, mix 1 cup ketchup, ⅔ cups water, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup molasses, 1 tablespoon ground mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon ground allspice until blended. Pour over bean mixture; stir to coat. Cover.

Step 3: Cook for 4 hours on LOW. Stir before serving.

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