Bean Quintet

The original recipe came from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and I reworked it so as to use dry beans. It's a great crock pot recipe as well. (As with all beans cooked from scratch, be sure to follow my cooking guidelines (see #3) to get rid of the gas--whether you cook the beans on the stove or in the crock pot.) I have tasted many baked beans that I liked, but most are too sweet for my taste and lack that particular tang or kick that makes them satisfying. For me, this recipe provides the perfect "baked beans" taste.

Bean Quintet

Sort, rinse, and bring to a boil the following:
A heaping 1/2 c. each of 5 different types of beans (or whatever you have, in this amount). [Examples of what I have used are: kidney, pinto, black, great northern, garbanzo, lima, etc.]

Once beans are rinsed and again brought to a boil, either pour into crock pot or continue cooking on stove, adding remaining ingredients:

1 c. chopped onion (1 large)
1 clove garlic, minced (or more, if desired)
3/4 c. ketchup
1/2 c. molasses
1/8 - 1/4 c. honey (if desired)
1 Tb. prepared mustard
1 Tb. Worcestershire sauce (the "kick")

Notes:

• More of any of the last 5 ingredients can be added as desired, until it has the taste you like best.
• As with my Homemade "Refried" Beans, the trick is to be sure the beans never run too low on water, yet don't end up with too much, depending on how thick or runny you like your "baked" beans.