Name: Slow-Cooker Barbecued Baked Beans
Total time: 9 h
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: US & Canada
Ingredients: 1 onion, chopped fine; 6 slices bacon; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; Salt and pepper; 5 1/2 cups water, plus extra as needed; 1 pound dried navy beans (2 1/2 cups), picked over and rinsed; 1/2 cup barbecue sauce; 1/2 cup brewed coffee; 2 bay leaves; 1 tablespoon cider vinegar; 2 teaspoons dry mustard; Hot sauce

Why This Recipe Works

Traditional baked beans rely on a long, slow cooking time in a low oven and require careful adjustment of the cooking liquid in order to get perfectly cooked beans with just the right amount of syrupy, but not cloyingly sweet, sauce. While the gentle, steady heat of the slow cooker seemed like the perfect fit for beans, we were in for a surprise. While we were able to get silky, tender beans after 8 to 9 hours of cooking on the high setting, we weren't able to replicate those results on low; even after 16 hours of cooking, we still had crunchy, inconsistent beans. So we settled on cooking the beans exclusively on high.

Before You Begin

The finished beans can be held on the warm or low setting for up to 2 hours; adjust their consistency with hot water as needed before serving.

Instructions

1. Microwave onion, bacon, garlic, oil, and ½ teaspoon salt in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in water, beans, ¼ cup barbecue sauce, coffee, and bay leaves. Cover and cook until beans are tender, 8 to 9 hours on high.

Discard bay leaves. Drain beans, reserving ¾ cup cooking liquid. Return beans to now-empty slow cooker. Stir in reserved cooking liquid, vinegar, mustard, and remaining ¼ cup barbecue sauce. Cover and cook on high until beans are thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste. Serve.