Smoky Maple Baked Beans

I recently visited Gatlinburg with my husband and discovered my new favorite shop: Zi Olive, located in The Village Shops area. They specialize in gourmet olive oils and balsamic vinegars, but also have pasta, seasoning mixes, handmade oil dispensing bottles and so much more. You can sample any oil or vinegar there, and I suggest you do just that. Taste as many as you can! They are amazing!

I also sampled the award winning Smoky Maple Baked Bean Sauce and Marinade. This recipe comes from a recipe card from the Zi Olive shop. They recommend using red kidney beans and black beans. However, when I made this dish, I was feeding a group of pre-teen girls, so I went for pinto beans and northern beans. We all loved it! The sauce is delicious and just what the name says – smoky and sweet – with a rich, deep flavor. Such an easy way to make gourmet tasting baked beans.

The recipe card also gives suggestions for using the sauce as a marinade. I can’t wait to try that next.

Ingredients:

2 14.5 oz cans beans (any kind), drained and rinsed

1 cup Smoky Maple Baked Bean Sauce and Marinade

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Place beans and sauce in 8×8” baking dish. Stir to combine. Cover and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour.