Southern-Style Baked Beans

I have several recipes for baked beans, and they all seem to suit a particular time of year or occasion. These are the baked beans I traditionally make on Super Bowl Sunday. They go very well with my pulled pork and other dishes on my menu. I do warn you that this recipe makes a LOT of beans. This recipe is easily increased or decreased. Use a 28-ounce can of beans for every six guests.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 18

Ingredients

• 8  slices bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1  medium onion, diced
• 1⁄2 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 3 (28 ounce) cans  pork and beans
• 3⁄4 cup barbecue sauce
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup distilled vinegar or 1⁄4 cup cider vinegar
• 2  teaspoons dry mustard or 2  tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a large pan, fry bacon until it is partially cooked and you have about 1/4 cup of drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels.
2. Add onion and bell pepper to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans, bacon and remaining ingredients; bring to a simmer. (If there's not enough room in the pan, add beans and heat to a simmer; transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients).
3. Pour flavored beans into a greased 9-by-13-inch (or similar size) oven-proof pan (a large, wide casserole allows the beans to thicken nicely). Bake, uncovered, until the beans are bubbly and the sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the "juiciness" of the brand of beans you use.
4. Let stand to thicken slightly. Serve warm.