All-american smoky baked bean casserole

A classic home-style essential in America. It’s the smoky bacon mixed with the tangy and sweet flavourings that make this one of the ultimate winter comfort foods.

Serves 6 to 8 Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 45 minutes

7 to 9 slices hardwood smoked bacon (preferably applewood smoked but any hardwood will suffice)
1 medium white onion, diced
4 x 400g cans plain baked beans, including liquid
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp yellow mustard
125g brown sugar

• Slice bacon into rectangular strips, about 2.5cm by 1 cm. Fry in dry sauté pan until cooked but tender—do not cook until crispy. Remove bacon but reserve half of the bacon fat in pan.
• Sauté the onion in the reserved bacon fat until tender and translucent.
• Combine beans and diced onions in large bowl.
• Add brown sugar, ketchup and mustard to beans and incorporate (note: if the mixture tastes too tangy, add a little more brown sugar or ketchup to taste; if too sweet, add more yellow mustard to taste).
• Pour bean mixture into a 9×13 baking dish and place bacon strips around the surface, pushing slightly into bean mixture so that it is partially, but not fully covered.
• In a 180°C oven, bake covered for 20 minutes, then bake uncovered for another 20 minutes to finish.

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