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Baked Beans With Sweet Potatoes and Chipotles

5.0(390)

I used Rancho Gordo Mexican heirloom San Franciscano beans for this richly flavored dish. The beans are dark reddish purple, not too big, with an earthy, sweet taste that fits perfectly into this slightly sweet and spicy baked bean dish. From the supermarket, use red beans or pintos.

by Martha Rose Shulman

Open original recipe

SouthwesternDinner, Main Course

Servings

6 servings

Total time

Calories / serving

418 kcal

Ingredients (10)

serves

1 pound red beans, San Franciscano beans, or pintos, washed, picked over for stones, and soaked in 2 quarts water for 4 hours or overnightred-beans
1 bay leafbay-leaf
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilextra-virgin-olive-oil
1 yellow or red onion, choppedonion
Salt to tastesalt
2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), mincedgarlic
1/4 cup tomato pastetomato-paste
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectarhoney
2 chipotles in adobo, seeded and mincedchipotle-in-adobo
2 large sweet potatoes (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), peeled and cut in large dice

Instructions (3 steps)

01Place beans and soaking water in an ovenproof casserole. Add bay leaf and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 1 hour. Check beans at regular intervals to make sure they are submerged, and add water as necessary.
02Meanwhile, heat oven to 300 degrees . Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy skillet and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Stir onion and garlic into beans, along with salt to taste, tomato paste, honey or agave nectar, and chipotles, and stir together. Add sweet potatoes and bring back to a simmer, drizzle with remaining olive oil, and place in oven.