Barbecued Baked Beans
It’s officially summer! And you know what that means… warm summer nights and lots of cooking outside. Cooking outside means grilling, one of my favorite forms of cooking. I love grilling for family or friends, things like chicken, hot dogs and hamburgers. But I also enjoy grilling fruits, vegetables… even the occasional dessert.
While proteins are the obvious choice for the grill, every main course needs a side. French fries or chips are often an easy choice for hot dogs and burgers, but not so great with steaks. Things that go great with both though are salads, veggies or the best of the best: barbecued baked beans.
Growing up, baked beans were always served when we had hot dogs. Okay that’s not entirely true. It was either tater tots or baked beans. But if my dad was making hot dogs for dinner, a can of baked beans inevitably joined them. That’s right, a can! With bits of pork fat floating in it. I did like the beans, but I always asked for it without the fat. They were good! Delicious even. I actually looked forward to them. I had those beans for many, many years. But then I grew up and realized I didn’t need my can opener any more. I realized I could make my own baked beans… from scratch. With real beans. And ketchup. And bacon.
Turns out I like to make baked beans. And now that I make them from scratch, I can I make them however I want. Sometimes I’ll use ketchup and dry mustard. Other times I’ll use barbecue sauce and brown sugar. Yes, I’ve made lots of different kinds of baked beans before, but this time I tried something different. This time I made them on the grill. In a cast iron skillet. Because they were made in a cast iron skillet over an open flame, they have a great smokey flavor that comes from actual smoke. And that means these beans were made for summer. I mean, can you think of anything better than barbecued baked beans for a summer cookout? I certainly can’t. And now that I’ve made my own on the grill, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to that can again.
Notes
Adapted from Cast Iron Magazine
Ingredients
- 6 slices of bacon
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 (15 ounce) can of light kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can of dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 boxed of Melissa's Steamed Six Bean Medley
- 2 cups sliced peaches
- 1-1/2 cups ketchup
- 1 (12 ounce) bottle of cola
- 1/4 cup deli mustard
- 1-1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat grill for indirect cooking to 350 degrees F.
- Cook bacon in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat on the stove until crisp. Remove bacon, drain on paper towels, reserving the drippings in the skillet.
- Add onions and garlic to the skillet and cook until tender. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add all the beans and peaches and set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the ketchup, cola, mustard, paprika, salt and pepper. Pour the ketchup mixture over the bean mixture, and stir until coated. Arrange the bacon on top of the beans. Place the skillet in the middle of the grill, close the cover and cook for about 50 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 - 15 minutes and serve.
