Sweet and Savory Baked Beans

Combine the lima beans, great northern beans and hot water in a 5-quart Dutch oven. Over high heat, bring the water and beans to a boil. Remove from heat and cover. Let it sit for 1 hour. Drain the beans through a colander and rinse with lukewarm water. Set aside.

In another 5-quart Dutch oven, fry the bacon over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the onion to the bacon and saute for 10 minutes or until the onions are tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. At this point, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, beer, apple cider vinegar, molasses, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, ketchup, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and chili powder. Stir all of the ingredients together. Add the beans to the mixture and turn the heat up to high. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

At the end of the cook time preheat your oven to 275 F.

When beans are done transfer them into a 9×13 inch baking dish and cover with aluminum foil (or an oven safe lid if you have one). Bake the beans at 275 F for 5-6 hours. Every 45 minutes to an hour, give the beans a stir.

When you are ready to serve, top with Monterey jack cheese and enjoy!