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Ask anybody who's been to the cookout and they'll tell you — these are the beans. The secret isn't starting from scratch. It's starting with a good base and doctoring it up until it tastes like yours.
You can start from a bag of dried beans if you've got the time, or reach for a can of Bush's — the big “fat can” from Gordon's if you're feeding a crowd. Either way, it's what you do next that counts.
Ingredients
The base
- 2 cans (28 oz each) Bush's Original baked beans — or the big #10 “fat can” from Gordon's for a crowd
- Or 1 lb dried navy beans, soaked and simmered until tender
Doctoring it up
- 1 lb ground beef (hamburger), browned and drained
- A shake or two of Trinidad seasoning (Grandma's go-to blend)
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, or to taste
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- Nature's Seasoning, to taste
- Garlic pepper, to taste
How She Makes It
- 1
If you're using dried beans, soak them overnight and simmer until tender. Using canned, just pour them into a baking dish or heavy pot.
- 2
Brown the hamburger in a skillet with a shake of Trinidad seasoning, then drain off the fat and stir it into the beans.
- 3
Add the diced bell pepper and onion, then stir in the brown sugar, barbecue sauce, and mustard so everything melts down through the beans.
- 4
Season with Nature's Seasoning and garlic pepper. Taste as you go — this is where you make it yours.
- 5
Bake at 350°F for about an hour, until the beans are bubbly and thick. Then you just doctor it up some more if it needs it.
Transcribed from her Elder Corner clip.