Whenever Christmastime rolled around - or most holidays throughout the year - the first smell walking through Grandma Clara’s kitchen door was a crock of baked beans in her Amana pocket door oven. The smell of molasses, bacon and beans was utterly cozy and made me and everyone else feel relaxed and right at home.

After Grandma Clara passed, of her many kitchen things, I held onto her baked bean crock. I intended to come up with my own baked bean recipe to go in it, but each year, I never got around to it… UNTIL this strange, upending year!

Here are my Molasses Red Wine Crocked Beans…baked in Grandma Clara’s crock…with Cinnamon Sugar Lardons. They are cozy just like her recipe, yet a bit more sophisticated with the addition of red wine, rosemary and pieces of bacon tossed in cinnamon brown sugar. They are still simple to put together, though. And the crispy, cinnamon lardons surely add whimsy and fun to the dish!

If you want to get a bit more fancy, make these with Rancho Gordo Christmas Limas. They would be heavenly in this recipe! A one pound bag soaked overnight and rinsed will work perfectly here.

There is a bonus recipe down below, too - Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. Sometimes I add them on top of the beans…sometimes not. It just depends on my mood. Go for it!

SERVING SIZE: 6-8 PREP TIME: 15 mins COOKING TIME: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 15 oz. cans pinto beans, drained

• 1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained

• 2 tablespoon olive oil

• ½ cup finely chopped sweet onion

• ½ cup finely chopped celery

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• ⅓ cup good red wine

• ¼ cup black strap molasses

• ½ cup dark brown sugar

• ½ teaspoon coarsely ground fresh black pepper

• ¾ teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

• 1 bay leaf

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Place the beans into a crock or 8” x 8” baking dish. Mix together with a wooden spoon.

3. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and celery, sautéing about 5 minutes until the onion starts to become translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another two minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Add the cooked onion mixture to the beans and mix well with the spoon. Add the wine, molasses, brown sugar, pepper, salt, rosemary and bay leaf. Mix well again. 

5. Place the beans in the oven and bake uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes-1 hour 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Remove the bay leaf.

6. Top with the Cinnamon Sugar Lardons and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (see below).

7. Serve.

For the Cinnamon Sugar Lardons

Ingredients

• ½ pound thick cut bacon (6-8 strips), sliced into ¼” pieces

• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and allow it to just start to brown and get slightly crispy. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking slowly for several minutes until the fat renders out, and the bacon is lightly crisp on the edges but still tender and plump. 

2. Transfer from the pan to a paper towel to drain. 

3. Whisk the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl, then add the lardons and toss until coated. Set aside.

For the Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

• ½ cup pumpkin seeds or pepitas

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Add the pumpkins seeds to a small skillet on medium heat. Toast, shaking the pan occasionally, 5-10 minutes until the seeds are golden brown. Remove from the heat. 

2. Add the olive oil, cumin, cinnamon and salt and mix to fully coat. 

3. Allow to cool completely before using.

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