Honey Chipotle Baked Beans with Kielbasa

When you need something quick and delicious for that tailgater, potluck or just a fast, weeknight family meal, these baked beans with generous chunks of kielbasa sausage deliver! We like these beans spicy, sweet and smoky – chipotles give us the perfect mix of all three, spiking this dish with a giant flavor bomb. Felix and I aren’t shy about taking things over the top, so we added fresh jalapeños and bacon, too, because why not? We love to bring the heat when we drop this at the table. Watch out, though, if you’re sensitive to the spicy stuff, just tone it down a bit. These beans will disappear super fast, so bump up the recipe, if needed. We suggest serving plenty of mac and cheese, coleslaw or potato salad alongside these beans. You can easily make this ahead, up to the point of baking, and chill until ready to heat and serve.

5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
2 T olive oil
1 c shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 jalapeños, seeded and chopped (less if desired)
1 large kielbasa, 16 oz, sliced
2 cans, 28 oz ea, baked beans
½ c tomato puree
1 T cumin, ground
¼ c honey
¼ c cider vinegar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T molasses
3 chipotle peppers in Adobo, chopped
salt and pepper to taste (pinch each)

Preheat oven to 375°. Place bacon on parchment-lined sheet pan and cook in oven just until crisp, 18-20 min. Remove bacon and transfer bacon drippings to a large oven-proof skillet. Sauté shallots, garlic and jalapeños in bacon fat until softened, approx. 3 min.

Add sausage, cooking 1 min more. Add remaining ingredients, including chopped bacon. Simmer 10 min. Turn oven down to 300° and bake 1 hour until thickened and bubbly. Serve hot.