My Family Immigrated to the South, Baked Beans

STORY

Sometimes the Single Chef is invited out and she has to be prepared. Last year I was invited to a last minute 4th of July BBQ and I brought this spiced-up variation on a Paula Dean recipe. I used the ingredients I had on hand and added a couple of tablespoons of dill and parsley my friend had chopped up for borscht, then packed it up and took it to the BBQ. The result was delicious (and I made a lot of male friends). If you’re vegan, use Bush’s Vegetarian beans and make sure to leave out the bacon.

RECIPE

• Prep Time: 10 minutes if you’re quick. 15 if you’re not.
• Cook Time: 45 – 60 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes

TOOLS

• 1 Long casserole dish
• ¼ cup measuring cup
• 1 tablespoon measuring spoon
• wooden spoon for mixing
• sharp knife or food processor (optional) for finely dicing
• aluminum foil

INGREDIENTS

1 medium white onion, finely diced
1 large clove of garlic
2 (16-ounce) cans Bush’s baked beans
3 tbsp grain Dijon mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup Demerara sugar
4 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 pound bacon strips, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (optional)
1 tbsp finely chopped dill
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1/2 – 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
fresh ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Using a sharp knife or your food processor, finely dice 1 large onion. Put aside.
3. Next finely chop 1 tbsp of dill, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Put aside.
4. In a casserole dish, mix diced onion, 2 cans of Bush’s baked beans, 3 tbsp grain Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup Demerara sugar, 4 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp of dill and 1 tbsp of parsley. Mix with wooden spoon.
5. Cut 1/2 lb of bacon into 1/2 inch strips, and sprinkle bacon over beans.
6. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.
7. Loosely cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil.
8. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes until beans are bubbling and not soupy.
9. Serves 4 greedy people to 12 peckish eaters.

(Photo Credit: Matthew G. Piccolo)