Backyard BBQ Baked Beans

INGREDIENTS

½ cup Bull's-Eye Original barbecue sauce

½ cup ketchup

½ cup water

2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 ¼ pounds bratwurst, casings removed

2 onions, chopped

2 (28-ounce) cans Bush's Original baked beans

2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained

2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained

1 (10-ounce) can Ro-tel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained

6 slices center-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

Be sure to use a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan; the volume of the beans is too great for a 13 by 9-inch ceramic baking dish, and it will overflow. 

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk barbecue sauce, ketchup, water, mustard, vinegar, liquid smoke, granulated garlic, and cayenne together in large bowl; set aside.

OUTSIDE IF POSSIBLE: Cook bratwurst in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up into small pieces with spoon, until fat begins to render, about 5 minutes. Stir in onions and cook until sausage and onions are well browned, about 15 minutes.

Transfer bratwurst mixture to bowl with sauce. Stir in baked beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans, and tomatoes. Transfer bean mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking pan and place pan on rimmed baking sheet. Arrange bacon pieces in single layer over top of beans.

Bake until beans are bubbling and bacon is rendered, about 1½ hours or longer if needed. Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve.

TO MAKE AHEAD: At end of step 3, beans can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Proceed with recipe from step 4, increasing baking time to 1¾-2 hours.

NOTES: Recipe creator calls for Bush’s Original Recipe Baked Beans and Bull’s-Eye Original Barbecue Sauce. I've used also used Stubb's BBQ sauce with 6 tablespoons water and the addition of 2-3 teaspoons blackstrap molasses.

Tex-Mex Black Bean Dip

 One 15-ounce can black beans, drained

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup diced tomato

1/3 cup milk picante sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4-1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Place beans in a bowl; partially mash until chunky. Set aside.

Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute four minutes or until tender. Add beans, tomato, picante sauce, cumin, and chili powder; cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add cheese, cilantro, and lime juice, stirring well. Serve warm or at room temperature with chips.

Classic Candied Yams

six servings

2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 6 medium)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon salt

Prepare and cook sweet potatoes by coating lightly with vegetable oil and roasting on a baking sheet lined with parchment at 375 for 45-60 minutes. Check for doneness. They should be tender yet not falling apart. They should show a little resistance in the middle. Allow to cool then remove skins and cut crosswise into ½- to ¾-inch slices. (Picture shows 1/4-inch slices.) At this point you may store the cooked slices covered in the fridge if making ahead.

Stovetop directions: Mix brown sugar, butter, water, and salt in skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Add sweet potato slices; stir gently until glazed and heated through. Spoon hot brown sugar mixture over the top and flip halfway through. About 15 minutes makes them yummy and thoroughly caramelized.

Oven directions (for less hands-on method and for larger amounts): Prepare sheet pans with sliced sweet potatoes and syrup ingredients multiplied accordingly. Try roasting uncovered at 350-375 degrees (higher?) for several minutes before flipping.

Mom's Mandarin Jello Salad

Two 6-ounce packages orange flavored Jello (or four 3-ounce packages)
Four 15-ounce cans mandarin orange segments

1. Drain mandarin oranges, reserving juices. Juices should equal four cups; if amount falls short, add cold water to equal four cups. Set aside orange segments.

2. Pour contents of Jello packages into a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups boiling water and stir until Jello is completely dissolved. Add reserved mandarin juices/cold water. Stir to combine. Pour into a 9x13 glass pan. Chill in refrigerator for about 45 minutes, until partly set.

3. When Jello is slightly thickened, add orange segments, stirring gently to distribute evenly. Return pan to refrigerator until Jello is completely set, several hours or overnight.

Optional Topping
Two envelopes Dream Whip
2 3/4 cup cold milk, divided
Two 4-ounce packages lemon flavored instant pudding mix
Shredded Cheddar cheese*

1. Using an electric mixer and a large bowl, blend contents of Dream Whip envelopes and 1 cup milk on high speed 6 minutes or until topping thickens and forms peaks.

2. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups milk and pudding mixes; beat on low speed until combined. Beat on high speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Spread onto set Jello salad. Chill until ready to serve.

*Top with shredded Cheddar cheese, if desired. (Mom sometimes did this in the early 80s!)

You may substitute __ Cool Whip for Dream Whip and 1 cup milk.

Baked Apple French Toast

Katie's specialty! Perfect for any morning celebration.
serve with Cinnamon Syrup (recipe below)

1 (16 oz) loaf French bread, cut into 1 1/2"-thick slices
8 eggs
3 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon vanilla
5 Granny Smith apples, peeled & sliced
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400˚.

Cut bread into 1 1/2"-thick slices. Arrange these slices in a tightly packed single layer in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Whisk eggs in a large bowl until blended. Whisk in milk, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and vanilla.

Pour half the egg mixture over the bread slices. Arrange apple slices over the bread. (Pan will be quite full.) Pour the remaining egg mixture over the apples.

Mix the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over the top. Bake for 35 minutes or until apples are tender. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Cinnamon Syrup
Boil for two minutes: 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup, 1/4 cup water, 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup evaporated milk.

Soft Caramel Popcorn with Hot Tamales

Soft Caramel Popcorn with Hot Tamales

2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup Karo syrup (light corn syrup w/vanilla)

1 cube salted butter

one can sweetened condensed milk

3-4 packages hot tamales or to taste, opened and ready to go 

5 2.9-ounce bags microwave popcorn, popped and placed in a giant bowl (7 to 7 1/2 quarts popped popcorn)

Use a medium (not large) heavy saucepan deep enough for an accurate candy thermometer reading.

In a medium heavy saucepan, bring brown sugar and corn syrup to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 3 minutes. Add butter and sweetened condensed milk and return to a boil, stirring. Check texture after just a minute or two then remove from heat. Check drop of caramel in cold water, if desired. Not too gooey but still stretchy. Caramel will firm up significantly as it cools. Caramel should be soft and pliable. (Maybe add a nice big pinch of salt here.) Remove from heat and pour over prepared bowl of popcorn. Stir until caramel is evenly distributed. Add hot tamales. Stir in evenly. 

Natalie's Fresh Salsa

This recipe comes from Natalie who got it from Dorothy. Originally developed as a canning salsa, Natalie went the way of all Walter girls and ignored the directive to preserve and prepare for the Long Winter ahead. She made this recipe her own, adding in the black beans. For anyone brave enough to can this salsa, Nat says please give it a try. Then share with the rest of us lazy grasshoppers.

Natalie's Fresh Salsa
10 garden-fresh ripe tomatoes, diced

1 red onion, finely diced
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced (keep seeds for heat, if desired)
1 4-ounce can fire roasted diced green chilis (add additional can, if desired)
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 handful cilantro, chopped (add more to taste, if desired)
2 cloves garlic (to start with)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon sugar
juice of one lime (optional)
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Season to taste. Recipe is adaptable: Dad likes it without cilantro. Eric likes extra jalapenos. Natalie loves the green chilis and sometimes adds more.