Sunday, August 12, 2007

Baked Beans & a Family Reunion

It was a perfect day for a family reunion yesterday. Despite the heat wave we're having, the shelter was cool & there was a nice breeze blowing throughout the day. Everyone had a great time & I enjoyed talking to some people I don't get a chance to visit with very often. At one point, I looked around at all of my great-aunts & uncles, laughing & reliving times past & then glanced down at my niece, sitting beside me with her head on my shoulder. I wondered what it would be like when she's my age & I am part of the older generation remembering times gone by. I hope my generation keeps this yearly event going, even when the people that bond us together are gone.

I don't fix baked beans very often, as it's not a dish I'm crazy about. But that's what I ended up fixing yesterday, along with Cheesy Chicken Noodles (AKA chicken spaghetti, which is a perfect dish for potluck picnics). We didn't have baked beans a lot when I was growing up, but I loved it when mom would serve "Big John brand Beans & Fixins" (does anyone remember those?). I looked through my recipes & came across a recipe my great-aunt Betty had given me for Naomi Judd's baked beans. The recipe is quick & simple, but the end result is rather ordinary, nothing people would talk about.

Baked beans is also on my menu for Mike's birthday party on Friday. If anyone has a recipe they'd like to share, let me know!

BAKED BEANS

12 slices bacon
1 large onion, diced
2 cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over low heat until crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain, and then crumble. To the hot bacon fat, add the onion and cook, stirring until softened, about 4 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the crumbled bacon, the onion along with the bacon fat, and the pork and beans. Stir in the sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Scrape into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish and place the dish on a baking sheet. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil & bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

3 comments:

readtomewv said...

Hey Tonia! I know I have told you before, but this blog is terrific! I have an idea for your baked beans. Don't change your recipe, but when you add your onion to cook, brown some ground chuck. This changes the flavor unbelievably. You will love it!

Love ya!
Robin

Tonia said...

Thanks Robin. I'm glad you enjoy the blog. I'll try adding some ground chuck - thanks!

Love to you!
Tonia

Thistlemoon said...

I love love love my nana's baked bean recipe which is a must have at all of our family gatherings!

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