Crockpot Barbecue Beans

Beans have a bad reputation.  I know it, and I'm here to stick up for them.  I love beans.  I love them in soup.  I love green beans.  I love chili beans.  I love white beans.  I love.. well you get the picture.  And they don't have to taste awful.  When you make beans for a cookout or bigger gathering they don't have to be the basic beans, brown sugar and pineapple concoction.  (No offense to them, my Grandma's were delicious.)  

Give this recipe a try, you won't be sorry!  (they do take a lot of time to cook, but after the initial prep they do the work themselves and people will rave about them.)

Crockpot Barbecue Beans

32oz dried pinto beans

2 lbs ground beef, browned and drained

1 c. crumbled cooked bacon

1 medium onion, diced

2 16oz bottles of Wegmans Carolina Style Barbecue Sauce (or make your own but I don't do well with liquid smoke so I rely on good old Wegmans)

1 c. Ketchup

1 1/4 c. Brown Sugar, packed

1/2 c. water

1 Tbsp yellow mustard

1/2 tspn ground cayenne pepper 

1/2 tspn salt

In a large mixing bowl, cover the pinto beans with boiling water and soak overnight (at least 8-10 hours) and then drain and rinse.  In the crockpot mix together all the ingredients.  Cook them on high for 8-10 hours, or until beans are soft, but not mushy.

If you like more kick, feel free to add more cayenne!  These are the perfect dish for a family gathering.  They are also full of protein so you could actually serve them along side a nice salad and roll for dinner.

Acini Fruit Salad

Acini Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

One container of Cool Whip

2 quarts sliced strawberries, half of them mashed

4 bananas

2 Tbsp flour

2 eggs beaten

3/4 c sugar

1 box strawberry jello

1/2 box Acini di pepe pasta, cooked, rinsed and cooled

Instructions:

Cook mashed berries, jello, flour, eggs and sugar until thick. Let cool.

Mix with cooled acini.

Add sliced berries, mix and chill.

When ready to serve, add sliced bananas and cool whip. Mix through and serve.

**note: This is one of those desserts that is delicious but doesn't always look very sophisticated.. we've had to talk people into trying it before to get them over the idea of "pasta in a fruit salad", but most people agree it's yummy.**