Vegetables

Our Baked Beans

Actually, I can't take full credit for this recipe; it's mostly my

husband's creation (hence, the "Our"). It has changed over the

last twenty or thirty years to what it is now*. BTW, this recipe

can be done entirely in a skillet.

• Bacon-Use a good quality bacon, not smoked or flavored.

• Onion-A sweet onion works great in this recipe if you have it.

• Pork and beans-You will need 2 (15-oz) cans or the equivalent of

a good quality beans.

• Brown sugar-If you like your beans on the sweet side, add up to

half a cup of packed brown sugar. Otherwise, just add a quarter

of a cup.

• Prepared mustard-No fancy stuff here; just the normal stuff.

Ingredients

• 5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled leaving about 2

drippings in skillet

• 1 small onion, diced

• ½ cup ketchup

• 2 (15-oz) cans of pork and beans (only drain 1 can)

• ¼ to ½ cup packed brown sugar

• 1 Tbsp prepared mustard

Grease an 8-x-8 baking dish or use Pam

Instructions

1. Cook bacon on low-medium heat until golden brown; drain

but leave 2 tsp drippings in the pan. Crumble bacon and set

aside.

2. Saute the onions on low-medium heat until almost tender.

Add the bacon and the rest of the ingredients to the pan**;

stir gently and pour into the prepared 8-x-8 baking dish.

3. Bake at 350°F for up to 30 minutes until bubbly and brown

around the edges.

*When we first made this recipe, we didn't drain the pork and

beans; we just let the mixture cook on low heat in a skillet

until it was the consistency that we liked, but the beans were

a little too soft (mushy). This recipe worked much better. We

also like the "crust" (caramelized sugar) that forms along

the edges.

**At this point you can also leave it in the skillet and let it cook

slowly, gently stirring, until thickened to your taste.

Options

• For a more rustic flavor, add ¼ cup molasses.

• Add a small pinch of cayenne pepper.

• This recipe is easily doubled; just use an 11-x-7 baking dish.

KEYWORDS

baked beans, our baked beans, best-baked beans

Tips

LAURA LEE ALICE
COOKS