Baltimore Baked Beans

First off, you should know that these beans have nothing to do with Baltimore.  Nor are they baked.  But the recipe is a family favorite dating back thirty years or so and the first place a member of my family ate it was in Baltimore, Maryland.  So go figure.

As with a lot of old family staples, it didn't quite taste the same the first time I made it myself. My mom and Grandma must do something different than the written recipe calls for because I had to double the sauce to get it to taste as I remember.  I think it's because I drained and rinsed the beans before adding them to the crock pot.  I don't like bean juice at all, so I will probably continue doubling the sauce.  Anyway, Brent likes the BBQ flavor, so the more sauce the merrier as far as he's concerned.

Baltimore Baked Beans
Source:  Brunton family dinners and pot luck suppers

Ingredients:

1/2 pound bacon
2 pounds hamburger
1 chopped onion
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/3 c brown sugar
1/4 c ketchup
1/4 c bbq sauce
2 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp mustard
1 can each pork and beans, black beans, kidney beans and butter beans

Directions:

Fry the bacon until crispy.  Drain on paper towels and when cool, chop or crumble.  Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon grease and use it to saute the onion until translucent.  Set aside.  Wipe pan clean of grease and brown the hamburger, seasoning with salt and pepper, until cooked through.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients (except the beans) to create the sauce.  Here's where you can double it if you're feeling kinda saucy.

Drain and rinse all the beans except the pork and beans, and pour into a crock pot, along with the bacon, onion, hamburger and sauce.  Stir to combine and cook on low until warmed through and flavors have melded.

Cocktail Bacon Wrapped Weenies - in the Crockpot!

These weenies are a favorite of mine from forever ago. My mom has played in a ten-point pitch club since I was a kid. When it was her turn to host, she'd always make these and my dad and I would sit in the basement watching television and sneaking these snacks out of the kitchen while the ladies were playing cards.

Now, I make them for parties and for football games, whenever the situation calls for sweet and salty meaty treats!

Ingredients:

2 packages cheap hot dogs
2 packages cheap bacon
toothpicks
brown sugar

Assembly:

Cut the hot dogs into quarters. Cut the bacon in half, short ways. Wrap a slice of bacon around each hot dog piece, securing with a toothpick. Place in a crockpot and cover with brown sugar. You'll have to eyeball the amount, I've never measured. Put on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3.

The fat from the bacon melts and combines with the brown sugar making a yummy salty/sweet coating for the snacks.

Texas Style Chicken Stew

Oh. My. Gosh. This was a hit! We had some friends show up just as I was serving dinner. Even having just eaten out at a restaurant, they each had a bowl because they couldn't resist the spicy yummy aroma. I added more spice than it called for and I'm glad I did.

This recipe, originally from Saveur magazine, was adapted for the book “175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics” by Judith Finlayson.

(please ignore the ugly shadow my camera left on the plate.

The lighting in my kitchen is horrendous, this is the best shot I got.)

Serves 6

4 slices bacon

2 onions, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crumbled

½ teaspoon black pepper

Salt

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, including juice

1 cup chicken stock

3 pounds skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (about 12 thighs)

2 (14-ounce) cans creamstyle corn

1 tablespoon chili powder, dissolved in 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (I didn't have any chili powder, so I used 1/2 tablespoon of cayenne. It was spicy but not too much!)

1 teaspoon paprika

Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional

In a skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove and drain thoroughly on paper towel and crumble. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from pan.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onions to pan and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, pepper and salt, to taste, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice and stock, and bring to a boil.

Arrange chicken over bottom of slow cooker and cover with vegetable mixture. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork. Add corn, chili powder mixture, paprika, cayenne and reserved bacon. Stir well. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes, until corn is heated through.