Baked Beans

I've never made baked beans before, but I did know that I didn't want to use some random recipe I found on the back of a can. I wanted to impress people, so I scrolled through at least two dozen recipes online and picked and chose which ingredients I wanted to add to mine. Again, this was used to create a LOT of beans for a class reunion, so unless you're planning on using this at a potluck, I'd cut this recipe in half.

1 #10 can (large, bulk sized cans) of pork and beans, drained
½ lb bacon, fried & crumbled with the drippings
1 full onion, diced
½ c barbecue sauce
¼ c beer of your choice (stale beer is fine to use)
1 c brown sugar (separate into ¾ c and ¼ c)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper (separate into two ½ tsp)
2-3 dashes cinnamon
1 T "All Purpose Seasoning" (typically a salt/pepper/garlic/onion mix)
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
2 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp seat salt, coarsely ground

Chop bacon into bite sized pieces and put in hot skillet over medium heat. Add ¼ c brown sugar, ½ tsp black pepper and cook until crispy. Don't drain the drippings.

Put beans in a large baking dish (aluminum pans work best because there's no clean-up afterward) and add bacon, its drippings and the remaining ingredients & seasonings. Mix well, cover with foil and bake for 35-45 mins at 350°. (You can also skip the baking part and put them in a crockpot instead. 6-8 hours on low, 3-4 hours on high. This saves you from heating up your kitchen in the blazing summer sun.)

If you're feeling particularly adventurous, skip the canned beans and make them from scratch using navy beans (you can find the instructions on how to cook those on the bag). I haven't felt that adventurous yet, thought I'm sure it's coming.

Vidalia Pasta Salad

***UPDATE***

So, I discovered that unless I go to Sam's club or order it online, I can't find this particular salad dressing. What I *CAN* find, though, is Ken's Sweet Vidalia Onion dressing (they have a light version, too!), which tastes exactly the same and is a lot cheaper. I've found that dressing almost everywhere I shop for groceries, including Walmart & Target, so it should be easier to make this recipe.

I came up with this recipe while in Sam's Club the other day buying groceries for my class reunion that my husband and I were preparing for. I'd picked up the typical Italian dressing that goes in every pasta salad ever known to man and when I saw the Virginia Brand Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette (Sorry, folks at Virginia Brand, you have it spelled incorrectly), I decided to change things up a little. It's super easy, but it does make a lot, so condense according to your needs.

2 bags tri-colored rotini pasta
¾ C Virginia Brand Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette dressing (about half the bottle)
1 envelope Vegetable Soup/Dip mix (I used Lipton, but Knorr works well, too)
¼ C Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta per package directions, making sure you lean toward the side of undercooked rather than over-cooked. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing causing them to plump up, so you don't want it real soft to begin with. Drain and rinse in cold water until there's no heat left in the noodles. Shake off excess water and put in a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing and the soup mix, stirring well until all the pasta is coated with dressing. Just before serving, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top.

Optional ingredients:

• Chopped cooked chicken breast
• Crumbled bacon pieces
• Diced pimientos
• Croutons
• Sliced olives
• Chopped red and green bell pepper
• Sliced fresh mushrooms