Beans and Wieners

Just so you know, so you can imagine me talking to you here instead of writing, in our house we pronounce this dish "Beans and Vieners," like the good Germans that we are. Not that this is a German dish -- at all. This is just good, old-fashioned, American budget food. But just because it's budget food doesn't mean it has to be tasteless slop, and it doesn't mean it can't have a little character to its name. ;-)

This recipe comes, for the most part, from Pioneer Woman. I don't think I've ever posted one of her recipes before. Not that they aren't good recipes; I'm certain they are. I admit that I am not much of a joiner, however, and that means I don't really hang out at her place. She has plenty of fans -- she doesn't need me. And, honestly, there are good recipes every where. But, sometime I must have stopped by her place and found Baked Beans. I made them a few times earlier this year and they are good -- really good. My father-in-law claimed they were the best beans he'd ever eaten, and coming from a 72-year-old man, I think that says something (or maybe he was just buttering me up for some dessert!). They were missing something in my opinion, however, and that is vieners. I like vieners with my beans. They just go together, like meatballs and spaghetti, and burgers and fries. Can't have one without the other (well, I can actually have burgers without fries, but you know what I mean).

And so, I make Pioneer Woman's Baked Beans (or Pam Anderson's beans to be precise) and I add vieners. They are a perfect meal, paired with a pan of corn bread, and they are cheap eats. This recipe feeds a crowd -- my family for main dish-size servings, with leftovers for a lunch or two during the week. They are called Quick Southern-Style Baked Beans by Pam Anderson and the southern touch, I believe, comes from the vinegar. They are tangy, and I add an extra 2 T. brown sugar to get the balance right for my family. They also have the added flavor that the green peppers offer -- really, really yum! I use Bush's Original Baked Beans, just so you know, Sweet Baby Ray's Original sauce, and Ball Park Angus Beef Hot Dogs.

I use my Lodge 5 quart dutch oven to cook these beans, and I have made a note in the recipe that you will need a dish larger than the one recommended at Pioneer Woman -- the hot dogs add to the volume you are cooking. As you can see from the picture, there is plenty of room in my dutch oven, but you might have a big mess if you try to fit all that into a standard 13 x 9 (which hold about 3.5 quarts).

Baked Beans and Wieners
Serves up to 18

printer version

8 slices bacon,quartered

1 medium onion, cut into small dice

1 medium green pepper, cut into small dice

3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans

3/4 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup plus 2 T. brown sugar

1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar

2 teaspoons dry mustard or 2 tablespoons Dijon (I use Dijon)

1 package wieners, cut into thirds or quartered

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon in large, deep skillet until bacon has partially cooked. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Combine beans, sauce, sugar, vinegar, mustard, onions, peppers and bacon in a large ovenproof dish. You will need a dish larger than a 13 x 9 to add the wieners. You can divide between two dishes if necessary. Bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is thickened, about 90 minutes (less time needed if you divide beans between two dishes). Add wieners, stir, and continue baking until sauce is thick and syrupy, about 30 minutes longer.

I serve Beans and Wieners with Cornbread, and fresh fruit, like apple slices and grapes.

Source: modified from Pioneer Woman

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