Baked beans never meant much to me until I tried this recipe for Hot and Smoky Baked Beans. I’m not exagerating when I say these are AWESOME baked beans! I’ve tried other recipes but this is the one I always come back to. The beans have great smoky flavor from the bacon, barbecue sauce and chipotle chilies (and liquid smoke if you use it) and they’re not too sweet (like some baked beans). YUMM!!! Husband lights up like a Christmas tree when I tell him I’m making Hot & Smoky Baked Beans. Sometimes he even eats them instead of dessert. True story.

This recipe really does elevate the humble bean to a new place of honor. I like to use a variety of canned beans (kidney, pinto, black, great northern), and usually 1 to 2 chopped chipotle chilies depending on who I’m serving the beans to. Add a little chopped chipotle pepper and taste the mixture before adding more (a small amount of chipotle chilies goes a long way). A good-quality, smoke-flavored barbecue sauce is best in this recipe. I like D.L. Jardine’s Mesquite Barbecue Sauce. The beer adds a layer of flavor to the beans without making them taste beery. I use an Irish stout like Murphy’s or Guinness.  To add more smoky flavor, I usually add 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke. Parsley is a nice garnish but I don’t usually bother with it. Enjoy!!

Hot and Smoky Baked Beans
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Serve these hot or at room temperature. Yield: Serves 8 to 10.

6 bacon slices
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/4 cups purchased barbecue sauce
3/4 cup dark beer
1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 to 6 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chilies (I use 1-2 chipotle chilies, to taste)
6 15- to 16-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained

Chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Transfer 2 1/2 tablespoons bacon drippings from skillet to large bowl. Finely chop bacon; add to bowl. Add onion and next 7 ingredients to bowl and whisk to blend. Whisk in 4 to 6 teaspoons chipotle chilies, depending on spiciness desired. Stir in beans. Transfer bean mixture to 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Bake uncovered until liquid bubbles and thickens slightly, about 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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Tags: bacon, baked beans, barbecue sauce, chipotle chilies, dark beer, dijon mustard, molasses

Smoky Green Deliciousness, that’s what I call it. This guacamole is simple yet very tasty! Many guacs call for chopped jalapenos but this recipe uses chipotle chilies (smoked jalapenos), which not only provides a little heat but a subtle smoky flavor, too. While the recipe calls for using a molcajete (the large, 3-legged mortar & pestle made out of stone), you can just as easily use a potato masher or fork to make the guac. Serve as a topping on your favorite Mexican food or just scoop it up with chips. Olé!

Chipotle Guacamole
-recipe from williams-sonoma.com

Chipotle chilies add a jolt of heat to traditional guacamole. A dried and smoked jalapeño chili, chipotles are sold in cans or jars, packed in an oniony tomato mixture called adobo sauce.

2 Tbs. finely minced white onion
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 to 2 chipotle chilies in adobo, drained and minced
1/2 tsp. sea salt, plus more as needed
2 large avocados, preferably Haas
2 Tbs. finely minced fresh cilantro
1 Tbs. small fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
1 Tbs. finely chopped white onion (optional)

Put the minced onion, lime juice, chipotle chilies and the 1/2 tsp. salt in a molcajete or small bowl, and smash with a pestle or fork to a coarse paste. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits and scoop the flesh into the molcajete. Add the minced cilantro and mix and mash, leaving some lumps. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt.

Sprinkle the guacamole with the cilantro leaves and/or chopped onion and serve immediately, if possible. To keep the guacamole at room temperature for up to 1 hour, cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface. To keep the guacamole for up to 3 hours, do not add the cilantro until just before serving, and cover and store in the refrigerator. Makes about 2 cups.

Tags: avocados, chipotle chilies, chipotle guacamole, cilantro, Dip, Mexican, onion