Baked Beans Take Two

This time, I added the ketchup into the beans to start with. Hoping against all odds it would deflect the ketchup adding at the dinner table. Not that it really is a big deal, but you have to at least taste the food first before adding a big glob of ketchup on it don’t you think?

These beans started off soaking in with a chunk of ham still on it’s bone. I had made a brown sugar ham for Easter and they soaked over night. Next the beans took a long slow cooking until they were tender and the ham had fallen off the bone. By now the house filled with an amazing brown sugar aroma making everyone hungry. The kids kept coming in looking like they were starved little animals, begging me “Mom, feed us, feed us!” They just dont’ get the , “Dinner is in an hour, wait.”   Luckily the beans were really tender so it didn’t need much more done with it. Time to throw it together!

Take Two Beans

1/2 cup Ketchup
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups Navy beans that have soaked over night (I think I had about 2 and a half cups, I made a full bag of beans, so give or take 2 cups) *You can soak and then refrigerate the beans up to 3 days ahead of time**
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper **Chop the onion and peppers small enough that they can heat and get tender quickly**

Directions-
   If you soaked the beans and refrigerated them, transfer to an Cast Iron Dutch oven to heat. In a large bowl whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, red pepper and cumin. Add the mixture to the beans along with the onion and bell pepper. Cover and simmer on low till the beans are heated through, and peppers are tender or to your liking. My kids don’t like the crunch of peppers, so I simmered this on low heat for about 45 minutes.

Enjoy!