Michele's baked picnic beans

By MissiAnn

A good summer beans recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb bag navy beans
• 1 tblsp bkg soda
• 1-2 tblsp oil or bacon drippings
• 1-1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped ham
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/3 cup syrup
• 1 bottle root beer
• 1-1/2 cup ketchup
• 3 tblsp worchestershire
• 3 tblsp mustard
• 2 tblsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp allspice
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Optional topping
• 4-5 bacon slices
• 1 cup Panko, or fresh, bread crumbs

Preparation

Step 1

Put the beans in a pot and cover with hot water and let soak for 1-1/2 hour. Add 1 tblsp bkg soda and bring to simmer and simmer for 30 minutes, rinse, and set aside. In the pot add the bacon grease, or oil, and the chopped veg and garlic. Then the ham goes into the pot. Now add the dry spices and pepper flakes. Cook Till tender and aromatic. Add the beans to the pot. Now add the root beer and the ketchup, maple syrup, molasses, mustard,worchestershire sauce, and the vinegar. Taste for flavor and adjust if called for, adding salt if needed. Now add 2 cups or so of water to go an inch or so above the beans. Bake the beans for 3-4 hours, checking to make sure it stays moist every hour or so. Bake @300*.
For an additional topping bake 4-5 pieces of bacon till crisp and process with1 cup of Panko bread crumbs and 1 tblsp of bacon drippings. Add to the top of the finished beans and broil till brown.