Bacon lovers rejoice! This homemade baked beans recipe is simmered in a tangy-sweet sauce and packed with savory crisp-bacon. Then it is topped off with a layer of smoky bacon and baked until bubbly.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange 8 strips of bacon as desired on a lightly greased broiler pan with a catch tray. Bake for 20 minutes.
While the bacon is baking, cut the remaining 8 strips of bacon into half inch sized pieces. Brown the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Work in batches and transfer the browned bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve three tablespoons of the bacon drippings.
In an 8x12 baking dish, stir together the drained beans, barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and black pepper.
Saute the onion, bell pepper, and garlic in the reserved bacon drippings on medium low heat for 7 - 10 minutes until tender.
Fold the prepared bacon bits and the sauteed onion and peppers into the bean mixture. Stir until well combined.
Place the pre-cooked bacon strips on top of the bean mixture. Bake uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes until the beans are heated through and bubbly.
Notes
This recipe makes approximately 20 servings of ½ cup each.