The kids sneak so many samples of this dish before I serve it that I only have half of it left for the meal. The best baked beans we ever had!
TRIPLE-BEAN BAKE
A colorful dish that has great texture and deep, rich flavors.
5 bacon slices
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup robust (dark) molasses
1/3 cup (or more) water
1 bay leaf, broken in half
1 15- to 16-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1 15- to 16-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook bacon in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium heat until crisp. Using tongs, transfer to paper towels to drain. Crumble bacon and reserve. Add onion to drippings in pot and sauté until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add dry mustard and thyme and stir 1 minute. Mix in ketchup, vinegar, molasses, 1/3 cup water, bay leaf and all beans. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover pot and bake bean mixture 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if mixture seems dry. Mix bacon into beans. Bake 15 minutes longer. Discard bay leaf. Mix in hot pepper sauce and serve.
Makes 4 to 6 Servings.
(We found this recipe in Bon Appétit's July 1997 issue.)