Going "Out" to Dinner

Many of you have noticed that spring is finally here.  And if you are an Indiana resident, this has been a very recent realization:)  Spring is that brief period of time when you don't sweat walking to your car and you can enjoy your patio at just about any time of the day.  This weekend marked the first of many weekend to grill and enjoy your spirits outdoors.  My favorite meal from here until Labor Day is your typical cook-out food.  For me this consists of assorted meat (hamburgers, hot dogs, pork chops, chicken, etc.), potato salad and my all-time favorite (not the mention the reason for this recipe post) BAKED BEANS!  Lady-like or not, I could eat these by the bowl full, so I had to share my recipe for this semi-homemade fave.  You can't go wrong with a recipe that calls for bacon grease and brown sugar.  Enjoy:)

Simple Baked Beans

4 or 5 slices of bacon

1/2 large onion (chopped)

2- 28oz cans of Van Camp's Pork 'n Beans

4 tablespoons of packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons of ketchup
2 tablespoons of mustard
2 tablespoons of worchestershire sauce

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Fry your bacon in a large skillet.  Once cooked, you can toss the actual bacon or feed it to your husband because all you really want is the grease.  Add the chopped onion to the grease and saute until soft.  Remove the skillet from the heat and add in the beans (I suggest draining a little out of the can first).  Next simply add the brown sugar, ketchup, mustard and worchestershire and mix it all together.  Pour the mixture into a 9x13 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  This makes 8-10 servings depending on who eating, but it is easily halved for a smaller crowd.