- 10
Ingredients
- 6 slices of bacon, chopped
- 1 pound of ground beef or half beef, half sausage
- 1/2 pound of andouille or other spicy smoked sausage, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 cup of chopped onion
- 1/2 cup of chopped green bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
- 1/8 cup of sliced pickled jalapenos, chopped
- 2 large (1 pound 12 ounce) cans of Bush's original baked beans, undrained
- 1 cup of homemade or commercial barbecue sauce
- 1/8 cup of pure cane syrup (like Steen's) or molasses
- 1 teaspoon of Tiger sauce or other hot sauce
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of Creole mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Preparation
Step 1
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add the bacon and ground beef to a heavy stainless skillet, cooking and stirring until the beef is mostly browned. Add the smoked sausage and cooked until browned. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook until softened, add the jalapenos and cook another minute. Add a splash of water to the pan to deglaze it and scrape up all of the little browned bits in the bottom. Add the beans and all of the remaining ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, taste and adjust seasonings, transfer to an ungreased 9 x 13 inch baking dish and bake uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes, or until nicely thickened.
Cook's Notes: I prefer to use the original Bush's baked beans as a starter for my baked bean recipes, however, you can certainly substitute an equal amount of homemade, inexpensive canned pork and beans, or a mixture of canned beans, like northern or navy, to be more budget friendly. You'll probably want to bump up the seasonings a bit though. Can also substitute pure maple syrup, sorghum syrup, or molasses for the cane syrup. Mix up the meats in this by using any leftover, chopped smoked meat you have - pork chops, pulled pork, even leftover brisket.
Variation: To tone the spice level down, use regular smoked sausage, yellow mustard, and cut back or eliminate the hot sauce, Cajun seasoning and jalapeno. For a nice presentation at a cookout or party, top beans with several extra slices of raw or slightly pre-cooked bacon before baking. Can pass the finished beans under the broiler to crisp up the top of the bacon more if desired.
From Scratch: Prefer to make these from scratch using dry beans? Substitute a 1-pound bag of dry Navy (Pea) beans, or Great Northern beans. Place into a large pot and cover beans with water plus another 2 inches and let soak overnight. Drain and rinse, return to pot and cover with fresh water plus about 3 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 1 to 1-1/2 hours or just until beans are tender and mixture thick. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out beans and proceed with recipe.