Now that winter is here and temperatures will be chilly for the next couple of months, we all need some hearty dishes to keep our bellies warm and full. A nice, big bowl of beans is always a welcomed option, but this recipe using Barq’s Root Beer, bacon, and apples transforms a pot of boring baked beans into a satisfying side dish that’s very nearly a meal of its own. It cooks easily on the stovetop, in a slow-cooker, or in a dutch oven over a campfire, plus it feeds a crowd.

One of the best things about this recipe is how it blends so many different flavors so simply. Aside from the bacon, you’re just opening, dumping, and waiting for flavors to blend. The Barq’s Root Beer will add a little bright sweetness to the beans; the apples bring just enough tart and texture; the bacon deepens the whole pot to an earthy richness.

Once you’ve made Barq’s Root Beer Baked Beans using this recipe, you’ll never make them any other way again.

Ingredients

• 1 can Barq’s Root Beer
• 2 28oz cans baked beans
• 1 20 oz can apple pie filling
• 6 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 tsp chili powder (optional)

 

Equipment/materials

• Large pot, slow cooker, or dutch oven
• Frying pan
• Kitchen knife
• Can opener

 

Directions

Chop the bacon slices into ½ inch pieces. Cook the bacon in a pan over medium-low heat until crisp. Remove the bacon and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Discard grease. Set aside. If you’re using a campfire dutch oven, you can cook the bacon directly in the pot, but you’ll still need to discard the drippings.

Open the cans of beans and pour into the pot, slow cooker, or dutch oven. Give them a stir. Set the slow cooker to low heat; set a stovetop pot to medium low.

Add most of the Barq’s Root Beer, saving a couple of swigs to enjoy for yourself while you’re waiting for the beans to cook. Give the pot a stir.

Add the apple pie filling. Give the pot a stir.

Add the cooked bacon. Give the pot a stir.

If you like a little spicy heat in your baked beans, add some chili powder. Give the pot a stir.

Give everything one last stir, making sure that all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Cover the pot, then cook for the amount of time best suited to your pot:

30-40 minutes on the stovetop (set at medium-low);

45 minutes in dutch oven over a bed of coals and covered with coals;

3-4 hours in a slow-cooker.

Stir the pot occasionally. Don’t rush it. The longer the pot sits and blends, the better the flavor will be.

Serve your Barq’s Root Beer Baked Beans straight from the pot. There’s no better way!