Baked Beans {Doctored Up}

My favorite baked bean story was told by a friend of mine.  Helping out on the family ranch often meant they'd be away from home for lunch.  Her dad wasn't much of a sandwich guy, so he would pack a few cans of Pork n' Beans for lunch....and they would eat them STRAIGHT FROM THE CAN!  (It makes my tummy queasy just writing about it).  But she grew up thinking that's how baked beans were eaten.  So right after she got married she put an opened can of pork n' beans on the table for dinner.  Her husband was the first one to ever tell her that you usually warm them up before you eat them!   

I've been to many barbeques where baked beans were dumped FROM THE CAN into a crock pot.  As if warming them up is really going to make them taste any better (and according to my friend, it doesn't!)  I love baked beans-but they have to be "doctored up".  My mother-in-law makes them this way and I love them. 

Recipe

1 (28 oz) can Baked Beans (any brand)
4 slices of Bacon

1/3 C. chopped Red Bell Pepper
1/3 C. chopped Green Bell Pepper
1 C. chopped Onion
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4 C. Ketchup
1/4 C. packed Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp ground Mustard
2 TBL apple cider vinegar
Pepper (to taste)

* Chop the bell peppers and onion into small pieces.  In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy.  Move to a paper towel and reserve 1 TBL bacon grease.  Saute peppers and onion for about 8 minutes in the grease until they're caramelized.  Add garlic and saute 30 seconds more.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Bring to a simmer, cover and turn the heat to low.  Let them simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

Tips:

• I bought my bacon at Winco in the deli section.  They had a peppered bacon, so I go two strips of that and two strips of the regular.  We don't eat a lot of bacon at our house, so this was cheaper and it was better quality bacon.  These 4 strips cost $1.30.

• Bell Peppers are like women- the more curves they have the better!  Look for one that has 4 bumps on the bottom instead of three.  Make sure it's firm and has a good color.

• If your kids are picky and will complain about the onion and bell pepper chunks, just put them in a mini chopper and blend them up first.  Remember that vegies always shrink as they cook.

• If you don't have ground mustard, just use Dijon or regular 'wet' mustard.  Put 1-2 tsp (or squirts) in.
• You can throw this in the crock pot if you want to make it earlier in the day and have it simmer until dinnertime.  Cook the bacon and veggies then throw everything in the crock pot, mix it all up and turn it on low.
• I use canned beans because I need to simplify my life right now with a new baby.  One of my goals in the future is to cook more with dry beans.  There is a time and season for everything- so don't feel bad if you're like me and buy the canned ones.