BBQ Beans

This delicious recipe can be prepared stove top, in the oven, on a BBQ grill, in the crock pot, or over the lowest part of a campfire. The original recipe came from a Marlboro booklet called The Original Cook Like a Man Cookbook. It also called for 2 cups smoked ham, chopped, and was a one-pot meal for camping. We prefer it as a side dish without the ham, and make it on the stove or in the oven, too. My son is the one who introduced me to it. This recipe represents typical cowboy cuisine of the Southwestern U.S.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can  pork and beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can pink beans, rinsed, drained (I substitute pinto beans when I can't find pink beans)
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed, drained
• 1⁄2 lb bacon
• 16  ounces ham, cubed (optional)
• 1  large green pepper, chopped
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 1  jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup barbecue sauce
• 2  garlic cloves, minced

Directions

1. Cook and chop bacon.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large Dutch oven (or crock pot if using that). Mix well.
3. Simmer on the stove, over a camp fire, in the oven (at 350°F), in the crock pot, or on the grill (medium heat) until the vegetables are soft (at least an hour).
4. You should stir often (unless you're cooking in the oven or crock pot), to prevent sticking on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir lightly, you don't want to mash the beans.