Those that had baked beans and those who didn't have baked beans.
We were one of those families who didn't have them. I don't know why. I suspect it just was something Dad didn't like to make or Mom didn't have a taste for. I grew up like a typical kid thinking they were gross and that you'd walk down the street with your back end doing a motorboat impression. It was easily in my 20s before I even had a dish of them and probably in my 30s before they were made in my kitchen.
I blame Mildred for that.
Mildred is Kevin's mom. Great woman. Fascinating person. She was a teacher in a school in Chester County, PA. One of those people who made cakes from scratch, could make a roast that would melt in your mouth, and made a proper meal without even thinking about it with nothing "prepared".
She was a baked beans kind of person.
I'm glad of that. Because I have never had a recipe for baked beans that was anywhere near as good as these are. They are sweet and savory at the same time. Very lightly spicy but not hot, almost a little peppery.
Oh and no motorboating down the block. I know because we made Mildred's Recipe this weekend.
Her original recipe is followed fairly faithfully, but I did discover a very simple improvement in the way you do this - stir them when you take the cover off. It's very important because it helps the spices mix with the actual sauce and the beans.
Really, don't forget. It's a minor thing but it improves the flavor greatly!
Ingredients:
- 2 cans 16 to 18 ounces each of Vegetarian Baked Beans. We prefer Heinz.
- 4 Tablespoons of Dark Brown Sugar.
- 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard powder.
- 1/2 cup of catsup.
Directions:
- coat inside of 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with olive oil so the beans don't stick.
- preheat oven to 350F.
- mix ingredients in casserole dish and put lid on.
- bake covered for 20 minutes.
- uncover the dish and stir.
- bake uncovered for one additional hour.
Guaranteed to be "nifty". I can vouch for it!
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