Chipotle BBQ Baked Beans

1 cup Chipotle BBQ Sauce

8-10 slices thick cut smoked bacon, cut into small strips (about 2 cups)

1 small white onion, diced

1 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 Tbsp molasses

1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

4 15-ounce cans of white beans, drained and rinsed

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon strips and drain on paper towels.

Leave 2-3 Tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan. Add the diced onion to the bacon fat and cook, stirring, until translucent, about three minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the brown sugar, molasses, and cayenne. Stir until combined. Add the vinegar, stirring to combine and scrapping to remove any bits of bacon on the bottom of the pan. Add the beans, Chipotle BBQ Sauce and bacon and heat through.

Ladle the beans into a 3-quart baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and bubbly. (I reduced the oven temperature after thirty minutes and allowed the beans to continue to cook until thickened.)

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Yield: 3 cups

1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1 Tbsp adobo sauce

2 cups sweet, mild barbecue sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp molasses

Place the chipotles and half of the sauce in a blender of food processor. Puree until smooth.

Add the remaining ingredients and puree, again, until smooth. Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the mixture to remove all of the seeds. Pour the sauce into a jar and set aside until ready to use.