Root Beer Baked Beans with Bacon

Oh hahaha. My first title read, "Toot Beer Baked Beans." Ain't that the truth?

I generally like baked beans. What makes me not like them is when people ruin them by putting green bell peppers in them. Blech. While this recipe has said onions, this girl did not include them.

I made this for May's Sunday dinner. And almost, almost didn't follow the recipe and added one more can of beans.

A couple things about this recipe:
1. I couldn't find root beer extract. So instead I tried to reduce rootbeer to get a stronger flavor. That didn't work at all. And so consequently I don't think you could taste the root beer at all in this recipe.

and

2. The recipe says it feeds 12. No way. I had 7 and had about a serving left. 

Root Beer Baked Beans with Bacon

Photo from Cuisine at Home

Recipe from Cuisine at Home - June 2015

4 strips thick sliced bacon
2 c diced onions
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 T minced fresh garlic
2 c root beer
2 cans pinto beans (15.5 oz each), drained and rinsed
1 can tomato puree (10.75 oz)
1/2 c ketchup
1/4 c packed dark brown sugar
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T cider vinegar
1 T prepared yellow mustard
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp root beer extract
Salt and pepper
3 slices white bread, buttered
2 T minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 425F.

For the beans, cook bacon in a nonstick skillet until crisp; transfer to paper towel lined plate and discard all but 1 T fat.

Sweat onions, bell pepper and garlic in drippings over medium heat until soft, 5 minutes.

Deglaze skillet with root beer and bring to a boil; reduce until nearly evaporated, 10 minutes. Stir in beans, tomato puree, ketchup, brown sugar, W sauce, vinegar, mustard, Tabasco, root beer extract, salt and reserved bacon; bring to a simmer. Transfer beans to baking dish.

For topping: pulse bread in a food processor to crumbs. Add parsley; pulse to combine. Top beans with bread crumb mixture; bake until crumbs are toasted and beans are bubbly, 15 minutes.