I almost didn't post this recipe, because I didn't take pictures of the cooking process, and only two quick shots of the finished recipe. I made these beans as a side dish when I made Jamaican Jerk Chicken, for the second time-- it's that good!
It's funny, but root beer isn't my favorite beverage of choice, unless you serve it in a frosty mug with a scoop (or two) of vanilla ice cream. With this recipe, root beer is deglazed just enough to give a sweet and savory flavor to these beans.
In my haste of making this side dish, I didn't fully notice that this recipe lists "root beer extract" as a key ingredient. Ooops! Too late... the chicken was on the grill, and I had hungry guests. So I kept on making them without the root beer extract, hoping for the best.
I did, however, spend more time photographing my spectacular (if I do say so, myself) birthday cake that I baked for myself! That recipe is coming up next!
My guests were commenting on how delicious the beans were, and I have to agree. They had just the right notes of tangy tomato, sweetness from brown sugar and reduced root beer and a tease of bacon flavor. With fall/winter coming up (and football food season) I had to share this easy recipe. Bring this to a pot luck, and you'll be a rock star.
A printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post. Keep on scrolling!
Bacon and root beer - works for me.
ReplyDeleteI adore root beer! I drank it more than any other soda when I was a kid. Now that I'm older and trying to eat better and eat less sugar and eliminate most soft drinks, I only have one as an occasional treat. There are times the root beer craving just hits me! This is the perfect way to get more root beer in my life. Beans are good for me! I can have lots of root beer and say that I'm eating healthfully. ;-) Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteI never tire of the many flavors that can come together in baked beans! This sounds delightful. It is on my list!!
ReplyDeleteSorry but the Root Beer extract ruined this dish for me, my husband is eating it though ;-) I made it yesterday & so glad I only made 1/2 the recipe....very artificial tasting, even the next day (I just reheated & tasted). Now what to do with a bottle of crummy r/b extract?
ReplyDeleteOh no! I am so sorry to hear that. Thank you for letting me know... maybe it was fortuitous that I didn't have root beer extract, after all! If hope that you try again, and leave out the extract. I will edit my recipe accordingly.
ReplyDelete