This weekend we cooked a big pork shoulder covered with our special seasoning and doused in beer. It took all day and we couldn’t open the oven door because the temperature needed to stay steady. That means the smell and temptation, combined with the anticipation, was half of the fun. Buns and a couple of bags of chips are really all you need with delicious barbeque, still we’re kind of hooked on traditional sides - potato salad, cole slaw, stuffed eggs, all the usual suspects. But this time I wanted to try something just a little different.
The other day I was with a group of women and we were chatting about a favorite topic – food – can you imagine that? My friend Wanda mentioned an old southern side dish that we both used to love and had just kind of forgotten – Barbeque Butterbeans. We compared recipes and discovered we were definitely on the same page – I couldn’t wait for a chance to make this again. So that’s what we had with our barbeque. My guys were intrigued when I cooked butterbeans and added chopped onions and peppers. They were fascinated when I added ketchup, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and a dash of mustard, and actually vaguely horrified when I finished it all off with brown sugar and maple syrup. Then finally – reassured (whew!) when I topped the whole thing with bacon. Yep. That’s pretty much the recipe. If you love baked beans - and who doesn’t - and you are feeling just a little adventurous – of course you are - then this is the recipe for you. It was just as good – in fact even better than I remembered. It was marvelous. I ate the last bite yesterday cold right out of the refrigerator, sort of like a bean salad, and I’m already wishing for more. Barbeque Butterbeans – I won’t forget about you ever again!!! In fact I’m thinking what a perfect side this will be for whatever goes on the Labor Day grill! Yum.
Ingredients
5 cups cooked butterbeans (I used 1½ 12 oz packages of frozen beans and cooked them briefly in salted water - you could use canned – well rinsed, or dried if you are a clever person who really plans ahead)
½ onion, finely chopped
1 small bell pepper – red, green or yellow – finely chopped
¾ cups ketchup
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp mustard
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup (real)
1 tsp salt (taste – the saltiness of the butterbeans can vary and you may need more)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Optional: Tbsp fresh thyme or tsp dried
2 slices center cut bacon, cut into one inch pieces
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine all ingredients except the bacon.
Pour mixture into a 9 x 12 or similar size casserole coated with cooking spray.
Top with bacon.
Bake for 30 minutes or until beans are bubbly and bacon is crisp (you can broil for a minute to crisp bacon)
Enjoy! Leftovers keep for several days in the fridge.
