BOSTON BAKED BEANS ala SLOW COOKER

Not too long ago I researched Navy beans for my Navy Bean & Ham soup. During that research I also found that navy beans, named after the bean of choice of the U.S. Navy, are the main bean used in Boston Baked Beans. I have been making my BBQ Bean dinner for years using canned BUSH beans, but decided it was time to make true Boston Baked Beans my way. I found that most versions used salt pork, but I like the bacon too so I chose to use both. You could substitute if your prefer though. I also eliminated all mustard due to an allergy, but also because I prefer the sweeter version.

Here is my version:

BOSTON BAKED BEAN DINNER ala SLOW COOKER
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 pound salt pork, cubed & browned
2 large Vidalia or Maui onion, chopped small
4 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup jalapeno ketchup
1 cup molasses
3 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup vinegar
1 pound navy beans

  • Soak beans overnight.
  • Brown hamburger, drain and layer into the bottom of your slow cooker.
  • Cube and brown the salt pork. Add to slow cooker.
  • Fry bacon until crisp. Crumble bacon into pieces. Add to slow cooker.
  • Chop onion into small pieces and scatter over the meat.
  • Add the beans to the slow cooker.
  • Scatter the brown sugar over top evenly.
  • Stir together the molasses, ketchup, chicken stock, vinegar, liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce. Pour evenly over everything in the slow cooker.
  • Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
  • Serve with Beer Bread or Cheddar Cheese Biscuits.
  • Great dish for a church pot luck.

NOTE: Add enough chicken stock so that the beans are COMPLETELY covered.

BOSTON BAKED BEAN DINNER
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 pound salt pork, cubed & browned
2 large Vidalia or Maui onion, chopped small
4 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 cup jalapeno ketchup
1 cup molasses
3 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup vinegar
1 pound navy beans

  • Soak beans overnight.
  • Brown hamburger, drain and layer into the bottom of your slow cooker.
  • Cube and brown the salt pork. Add to slow cooker.
  • Fry bacon until crisp. Crumble bacon into pieces. Add to slow cooker.
  • Chop onion into small pieces and scatter over the meat.
  • Add the beans to the slow cooker.
  • Scatter the brown sugar over top evenly.
  • Stir together the molasses, ketchup, vinegar, liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce. Pour evenly over everything in the slow cooker.
  • Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
  • Serve with Beer Bread or Cheddar Cheese Biscuits.
  • Great dish for a church pot luck.

OLD FASHIONED BOSTON BAKED BEANS
1 pound Navy beans, washed and sorted
1/2 pound salt pork, diced small
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup PURE maple syrup
1/4 cup molasses

  • Dice salt pork and layer on bottom of slow cooker.
  • Chop onion and scatter over salt pork pieces.
  • Wash and sort beans.
  • Place beans in slow cooker on top of salt pork.
  • Cover with 5 cups water.
  • Cook on low overnight for 12 hours.
  • Drain beans, reserving liquid.
  • Return beans to slow cooker.
  • Add vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, maple syrup and molasses and blend well.
  • Add in 1/2 cup of bean water as desired for consistency.
  • Heat through for an hour or so.

BAKED CARAMEL PEARS

In an effort to clean out magazines and cookbooklets, I joined Magazine Mondays hosted by Cream Puffs in Venice several years ago. What I really liked was that she wasn’t strict about when you posted so I could publish these yummy results as I found them. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find her bog for awhile and then she changed formats, but it got me working on that pile of recipes.

If you are anything like me, you have a drawer or a box full of recipes from newspapers, magazines, old maiden aunts, grandmothers, friends and every potluck you ever went to and said I have to have that recipe! Now while I usually keep the combination of spices and seasonings somewhat intact, I do make changes that make it more palatable to my family. So I always keep a list of likes, dislikes and allergies and am constantly altering recipes to fly by the seat of my pants.These recipes have been floating around so long in the box of scraps that I have no idea where they originated (but they look like pages from an old Lawry’s magazine when I worked there) which based on all my changes doesn’t matter, but reminds me to keep that box. Some days I feel like an archaeologist, but come up with oldies that were favorites and will now be revived.


BAKED CARAMEL PEARS

3-4 firm pears, pared and cut into fourths
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon*
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small squares
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 to 6 tablespoons chopped, toasted pecans, optional
1/4 cup rum soaked golden raisins**

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Arrange pears side by side, center down in an un-greased 8×8 baking dish.
  • Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
  • Sprinkle raisins around the pears.
  • Sprinkle with the brown sugar.
  • Evenly dot with the butter squares.
  • Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until pears are tender and brown sugar is bubbly.

NOTES:

  • *I deleted the pecans and increased the brown sugar to 1/3 cup while adding the cinnamon also.
    **I soaked the raisins in rum for a day or so before and they were yummy!
  • Next time I will maybe broil the pears for a couple of minutes after they come out of the oven to crystallize the sugar.

SWEET BAKED ACORN SQUASH

SWEET BAKED ACORN SQUASH with Brown Sugar – serves 4
This is an easy and delicious side dish which only requires a few minutes of actual hands-on time.
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium acorn squash, (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 tablespoons light-brown sugar
Nutmeg
Coarse salt and ground pepper

  • Preheat oven to 425°.
  • Generously butter a rimmed baking sheet.
  • Halve squash crosswise. Scoop out seeds; discard. Slice a small piece off bottom of each squash half just enough to level.
  • Set squash halves, scooped sides down, on prepared sheet.
  • Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Turn squash; prick insides all over with a fork.
  • Add 2 tablespoons butter, coating all the inside surfaces.
  • Top with brown sugar to each half and season with salt and pepper.
  • Continue to bake until flesh is easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 25 to 30 minutes.
  • Sprinkle with FRESH grated nutmeg.
  • Serve warm.