Today we are revisiting a family favorite and one that I have heard has become a favorite of some of you! Rick’s picnic beans are something the brought with him to our marriage from his mom. Yes, it is simple. Yes it take help from the grocery store, but in the end you have delicious baked beans to serve next to your Easter ham that people are going to die for. Seriously there won’t be any left. Three simple ingredients come together here to make sweet, savory and delicious baked beans that everyone will love!
Rick’s mom made something similar when he was growing up and he has simply expounded on the idea. We have made this recipe in many different amounts. Ranging from just enough for one meal to enough to feed 100 people. You simply adjust the ingredients to suit your needs. Today I am sharing what we normally prepare. We do this with the intention of having leftovers. These reheat beautifully and taste even better after a night in the fridge.
First thing you will want to do is render off some bacon. Today I am using one pound. I like to take out the whole rasher and cut it up into bits. Then toss into a skillet that has been heating over medium high heat. The process of rendering down this bacon can take a bit of time. You don’t want to rush it! Perfectly rendered bacon is crisp not flaccid. Cooking on too high of a temperature will render the bacon to quickly and burn it. Keep an eye, stir often and be patient. Just when you think it won’t be getting crisp it will do just what you want it too. Then you can remove the bacon from the skillet and move on to building your beans.
I am using 2 28 ounce cans of Bush’s Country Style baked beans. I have always used this brand of beans as a base for these beans and this brand is a particular favorite in my pantry. You should use what your favorite, preferred brand of baked beans is for yours. If you want to make these for a much larger crowd then go for the number 10 can of Bushes traditional baked beans, they are delicious and will get the job done. They do not make the country style in the larger can.
Pop your beans into the crock of your slow cooker along with the bacon. You can toss the drippings in too if you like as long as there isn’t too much. You should guage this on the amount of drippings your bacon has left behind. Add in 1/2 cup of brown sugar or molasses or maple syrup. Your choice here. All three work. You can also choose to do a combination of two of these or all three. We often use brown sugar and molasses which gives a deep flavor to these beans.
Stir everything up well and put the lid on the slow cooker and set it to low for 4 to 6 hours. Be sure to give everything a stir every so often so you don’t get over done spots. Since every slow cooker is different and has their idiosyncrasies, you will want to do what is best for whatever model you own.
We love these beans because they are thick and not soupy. If yours are a bit loose put a wooden spoon between the crock and the lid or take the lid off all the way and allow the beans to continue cooking for an additional hour. This will help to reduce the sauce and tighten up the beans giving you a delicious texture and end result.
We have made these in the past for church functions and have never come home with any leftovers. This recipe may seem simple, but it is perfect and people love it.
My goal this year with regard to Easter was to give a few tried and true recipes that are always a success. These beans along with a delicious glazed ham and my mom’s pineapple bake with a fresh steamed veggies made for a delicious meal. Sometimes we overthink, over cook and overwork ourselves to create the perfect meal and atmosphere. In the end you are exhausted and have spent so much time cooking you didn’t get to participate in the making of memories. Life is too short for that. This will be my first Easter celebrating without my mom. Trust me, life is too short for that.
I hope you give this version of baked beans a try sometime soon and I hope you love it!
Happy Eating and Happy Easter!
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