Side Highlight: New England Baked Beans...Crockpot Style!

Ohh yes...this idea came shortly after our Boston trip!

I actually made this side for our 2010 Christmas Day family lunch. I decided to make it for 2 reasons:
1. My husband did not get to taste the infamous Boston baked beans while we were in Boston...and he really did want to have some, but we did not get the chance...and..
2. I was looking through a crock-pot recipe box gifted to me by a dear friend, and voila! I found this delicious recipe. :-)

For those of you who have crock-pots (aka slow-cookers), you already know that this will be quite easy and simple to make. If you do not have a crock-pot, I highly recommend getting one! It is one of those cooking investments you will not regret...promise. ;-)

I owe a special thanks to my father-in-law who, probably due to my subtle noises in the kitchen, also woke up early on Christmas day and helped me put together this wonderful side. I hope y'all enjoy this recipe as much as we have!

New England Baked Beans

Ingredients:
4 slices uncooked bacon, chopped
3 cans (about 15 oz. each) Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup water
1 small onion, chopped
1/3 cup canned diced tomatoes, well drained
3 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
3 Tbsp. maple syrup (I used pancake maple syrup :-P)
3 Tbsp. molasses
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 small bay leaf
1 Tbsp. cornstarch (optional)

Directions:
Cook bacon in skillet until almost cooked, not crispy. Drain and set aside. Combine bacon and all remaining ingredients in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until mixture has thickened. If the mixture is not as thick as you'd like (which is what happened in my case), get some of the liquid from the baked beans (about 4-5 Tbsp) and add cornstarch to this liquid. Mix well and add liquid mixture back into the baked beans. Cook uncovered on low for another 15-20 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving. Enjoy! :-)