BBQ Baked Beans by Tom

BBQ Baked Beans by Tom

A couple of weekends ago, Barbara and I went up to Canandaigua, NY to see Steely Dan in concert at CMAC, an outdoor performance center.  We did not eat dinner ahead of time and instead had a Dinosaur BBQ platter there, which included a salad and baked beans.  The baked beans were really good, so we decided I should try to make them at home sometime.  That "sometime" was a couple of days ago.

This is a very easy recipe and makes a great side dish for any summer time meal.  What am I saying?!  This would be great in the winter or any season for that matter.

        ---Tom

BBQ Baked Beans
(based on Dinosaur BBQ Cookbook)

Serves 5-6

2 tablespoons olive oil for sautéing
1 small onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 jalapeño pepper chopped
Pinch of kosher salt and black pepper
2 large garlic cloves chopped
8 ounces hot Italian ground sausage
1 28-ounce can of baked beans (I used Bush's)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (your preference, but I used Dinosaur BBQ Slatherin' Sauce)
1 tablespoon creole mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon creole or Cajun seasoning (cumin, garlic, thyme, oregano, cayenne, chili powder, black pepper)
1 tablespoon molasses

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Once the oil is hot, toss in all of the chopped veggies (onion, green pepper, jalapeño).  Sauté until they are soft adding the pinch of salt and pepper.  Next throw in the garlic and sauté for another minute.

Crumble the sausage into the sautéed veggies and cook until the pink is gone.  Be sure to keep breaking up the sausage while cooking to make the pieces small.

Drain off some of the liquid in the can of beans just until the liquid is below the top of the beans.  Now add the beans to the sausage-veggies mixture.

Turn the heat down to medium low and add the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to a slow boil and then turn the heat down to just simmer.  Be sure to simmer for at least 5 minutes to let the spices marry.  Longer and slower is better.

When ready to serve put the baked beans into a serving bowl and have at it.  I served the baked beans with grilled chicken thighs and fresh local grilled corn on the cob. 

Sitting out on our deck at the cottage looking at the lake and eating a nice meal.  An enjoyable way to spend a nice summer evening.

---Tom