A Twist on Baked Beans

I made this side dish for our friends last night. It got rave reviews. So have a cheat day on all of our work to be healthy and active and enjoy! Great for a Spring or Summer day.

Start with 6 slices of thick cut bacon (peppered may be a good touch also). Cut in half and fry over medium-low heat. You do not want to brown or crisp the bacon at all; the point is only to render the fat and get the bacon pieces ready to bake and turn brown in the oven. Remove the bacon pieces and leave the bacon fat in the pan.

Dice an onion. With the skillet over medium heat, add the onions and sauté them for a few minutes. Stir occasionally.

In a small bowl, measure 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce, 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of Apple Cider vinegar, and 2 tbsp of dijon mustard. Mix well.

Pour 2 cans of pork 'n beans into the skillet. Stir with onions. Then add the mixture. Stir well and bring to a simmer. If you prefer spicy, add a fresh chopped jalapeño at this point.

Pour into a large casserole dish. Layer the partly cooked bacon slices over the top.

Bake at 325 for two hours. You want the beans to be very very cooked, the bacon to be very very brown, and no soupiness to the dish.

Let sit for 10 minutes. Enjoy!