Karen's Infamous Baked Beans

These baked beans go into the slow cooker and come out 12 to 14 hours later tasting like they’ve been simmering in a pit all day. Bacon pieces, Rotel tomatoes with their built-in heat, diced green chiles, dark brown sugar, onions, and garlic all go in raw and cook down together into a thick, smoky, sweet-and-spicy pot of beans.

The long, slow cook is what makes this recipe work. All those flavors meld into something you can’t achieve in a few hours. The bacon renders completely, the onions dissolve into the sauce, and the brown sugar caramelizes into the tomato liquid.

The cornstarch slurry at the end is a smart finishing move. Scoop some of the hot liquid, mix in the cornstarch, then stir it back in. It thickens the sauce from soupy to glossy and scoopable. This is what takes the beans from good to cookout-famous.

Kitchen Tips

• Stir every couple of hours if you can. It distributes the bacon fat and prevents the sugars from scorching on the bottom.
• Use dark brown sugar, not light. The deeper molasses content adds a richer, more complex sweetness.
• Mix the cornstarch into cooled liquid first. Adding it directly to hot beans creates lumps that won’t dissolve.
• These are even better the next day reheated, once the flavors have had time to deepen overnight.

Variations

• Add cubed smoked sausage or chopped brisket for extra meat.
• Use chipotle peppers in adobo instead of green chiles for a smokier heat.
• Stir in a splash of bourbon or apple cider vinegar in the last hour for a tangy kick.