Fit-For-a-King Baked Beans

This is from my Christmas cookbook, the TOH one. I do have a love for baked beans, and these start with plain canned beans, so it's a lot faster than making them the traditional way when you have to soak them. I do take issue with the name of the recipe, because how many kings out there do you think are requesting baked beans, to necessitate a recipe so named? Also how many kings are out there, period? I don't think many...Jordan, sometimes England, Morocco...also this recipe was contributed to TOH by the Bean Education and Awareness Network. Can you believe there is such an organization? Crazy. If you feel like you need further bean education, here is the link: http://www.americanbean.com/index.htm

Fit-For-a-King Baked Beans
3 bacon strips, diced
2 small onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/4 tsp ground ginger
4 cans (15 1/4 oz each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup apple cider or juice
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional (what?? Since I didn't have any of these laying around, I left them out)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard (I didn't have this either so I used spicy brown)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 bay leaves

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon to paper towels. Drain, reserving 1 tsp drippings. In drippings, saute onion, garlic, and ginger until tender.

In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Stir in the onion mixture and cooked bacon. Transfer to greased 2 quart baking dish.

Cover and bake at 300 for 2 hours. Uncover; bake 30-35 minutes longer or until beans reach desired thickness. Discard bay leaves.

So if you left the bacon out of this (which some people might do but I would never do) this would be a vegetarian dish. So that's why I categorized it as such. These beans were really really good. E & N were a bit freaked out by the pieces of bacon in theirs, but ate the beans. The rest of us loved it. Definitely a keeper.