Baked Beans Supreme

I just made some baked beans and they were terrific. So, I thought I'd post the recipe in case anyone needs inspiration for their own dish.

Start with a big can of "pork & beans". Mom used to like Showboat brand, but Walmart didn't have 'em, so I used Campbell's (I like them better anyway).

These days that means beans in a light sauce with a bit of bacon fat for flavoring. I haven't seen any pork in pork & beans for a very long time. I use a big can and make a big dish because mom always did it that way.

For flavoring add:

Mom liked...

a diced onion (as much as you like),

ground clove (lightly sprinkled on top and then stirred-in),

a dollop or two of catsup,

brown sugar or (I use) a few tablespoons of molasses,

I also like...

one dollop of your favorite barbecue sauce (not too much as it can overwhelm) and

Note: brown sugar is just sugar with molasses in it. As I don't eat sugar the straight molasses is good.

Mom used to put a few strips of bacon on top during the cooking, but if you're going to make Pork & Beans Supreme you must add smoked sausage (in small bite size chunks) or add a package of lil' smokies (which are about like small hotdogs with a bit of smokey flavor).

Stir it well.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 325-375 F for about 1 hour - 1 hour 30 minutes. Take a look to see when they have achieved the look you want (longer cooking and they get thicker). I wouldn't be surprised if you could fix them in a slow-cooker. I was tempted to do that, but didn't want to risk it on a dish I didn't want to experiment with.

The mixture of those flavors is wonderful and the sausage makes it a real dinner meal.

Enjoy!