Slow Cooked Chipotle Beer Baked Beans, 4 Points+

Are you all ready for my Cooking with Beer Series?  Yesterday, I had the chance to experiment with New Belgium’s Beers and as a result developed 5 Delicious Recipes to create one FANTASTIC Beer-Becue with all the Fixin’s.

One of my FAVORITE side dishes to any barbecue is baked beans.  But, not the kind you get in a can (no pork and beans either).  I really LOVE good, old fashioned, made from scratch baked beans.

Sometimes I go for the Quick & Easy “Slow” Cooker Baked Beans version and when I have time, I like to  make them completely from scratch like my Molasses Baked Beans. 

I think that the texture of dried beans is better, however, if you don’t have time to soak them night before and you don’t want to “listen” to everyone tell you about them, go for canned.

As much as I LOVE Bacon, I don’t LOVE it in beans because it just gets soggy.  I think beer pairs well with sausage so I picked a Lean Turkey Sausage to get all the smoky flavor without all the added fat.

You will want to use a Dark Beer as it really brings out the richness as the beans and creates a depth of beer flavor in every slightly spicy, sweet, tangy bite.

 

SLOW COOKER CHIPOTLE BEER BAKED BEANS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound  Lite Kielbasa or Smoked Turkey Sausage, quartered then chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 Bell pepper, diced
• 15 ounce Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• 2 Cups Dried Pinto Beans or 2 16 ounce cans, drained and rinsed*
• 2 Chipotle Peppers, minced with 2 Tablespoons Adobo sauce from Chipotle peppers
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Dark Molasses
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons deli mustard
• 2 Bottles New Belgium’s 1554 Enlightened Black Ale
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

* If using dried beans, soak over night in 6 cups of water.  Drain and set aside.. 

1. Heat a large soup pan over medium heat.  Add your Kielbasa sausage and cook until lightly browned, 5-7 minutes, then, set aside.

2.  Using the same pan, add your chopped onion and cook until slightly browned/caramelized, about 3-4 minutes.  If the pan is dry, use additional nonstick spray or a splash of oil.

3.  Remove pan from heat and add sausage into the pepper onion mixture.

4.  Spray your crock pot with nonstick spray or use a crock pot liner.  Add remaining ingredients waiting to season with salt and pepper until after cooking.  The mixture will be thin, but, that is ok as it thickens as it cooks.

6.  Stir to combine and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.

7.  If the mixture is too thin, simmer on the stove top over medium heat until the mixture thickens, probably about 30-45 minutes. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve straight from the pan and enjoy!

Makes about 14, 1/2 cup servings, 4 points+ each

Nutrition facts per serving, calculated using caloriecount.com

STEP-BY STEP

Heat a large pot over medium heat and spray with nonstick spray.  Add sausage and cook until browned, about, 5-7 minutes.

Remove sausage and add onion/bell pepper to the same pan.  Cook until softened, about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and add sausage back to pan.

I prefer using Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes because I like the smoky flavor they have.  You could however use regular Diced Tomatoes.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Including 2 bottles of New Belgium 1554 ~ You want it to be a darker beer for a richer flavor.

Stir to combine and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.

If the mixture is too thin, simmer uncovered on the stove top over medium heat until the mixture thickens, probably about 30-45 minutes. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

These beans are excellent straight up but would also be a fantastic meal over brown rice with veggies.  Enjoy!

NEW BELGIUM RECIPES UP NEXT

* Chipotle Cheddar BEER Corn Muffins

* Honey Chipotle BBQ BEER Sauce

* Chili Lime BEER Buttered Corn

* Peach BEER-Berry Cobbler

* Plus all the “fixin’s” you need to go on the side for one awesome BEER-Becue!

Stay tuned for more from my Cooking with BEER Series!