Our Best Baked Beans

This past Sunday we had a fellowship meal at church and I prepared Baked Beans. I tend not to think that much of baked beans because after you eat them, well . . . you know. Jeramy and I are on a strict budget - looking forward to our first home - and I needed something inexpensive (!) to bring. Also, I think the Crock Pot is an excellent way to have something easy and wonderful prepared that will still be warm when consumed.

My Mom, after cleaning more as she was getting settled, gave me a stack of cookbooks. One of them is entitled: Rival Crock Pot Cooking! So, I'm very excited about this book and I found this baked beans recipe in it. Jeramy said they were the best baked beans he's ever had and he's not one to really like baked beans! They were pretty tasty and after church, there was only about 2 spoonfuls left, so I know others liked them also. Enjoy.

Our Best Baked Beans

5 slices bacon, crisply fried and crumbled

2 cans (16 oz each) baked beans, drained

1/2 green pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup hickory-smoke BBQ sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

Mix all ingredients in crock-pot. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 12 hours (or high for 2 to 3 hours). Yield about 1 1/2 quarts, 6 to 8 servings.

The beans I prepared Sunday were slightly modified. I didn't have any bacon, but used a ham bone with lots of meat instead. The canned beans were in tomato sauce, so I used that instead of all the ketchup. (I did this to save a little $$. We buy organic ketchup because there's no hydrogenated oil or high fructose corn syrup in it.) Before heading off to church though, I did mix a little into the pot. I didn't figure out the calories for this one.