Recipe Details

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Servings: 4-6 servings

Baked Beans

Patsy carried her baked beans to every potluck she attended, whether it was a church gathering or a Classical Conversations meeting. She loved those outings—the laughter, the shared dishes, the easy conversations that filled the room. Her beans were rich, sweet, and just a little smoky, the kind of dish that made people pause mid‑bite and look around for the person who brought it. When Patsy walked in with her casserole dish tucked under her arm, folks knew something good was coming.

She didn’t make them for attention; she made them because feeding people made her happy. Setting that dish on a long folding table felt like her way of joining the moment, contributing something warm and comforting to the day. Ray always said you could tell how much she enjoyed being there by the way she smiled when someone took a scoop. Patsy loved the gatherings, loved the people, and loved showing up with something she made herself. The baked beans were simply her way of saying she was glad to be part of it.
 

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 oz) can pork and beans
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 2 slices bacon

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. In a small baking dish, combine the pork and beans, brown sugar, mustard, and ketchup. Stir well.
  3. Place the bacon slices on top of the bean mixture.
  4. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
  5. Remove the cover and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly and the bacon is cooked.
  6. Serve warm

Serving Suggestions

Serve alongside:

  • Pulled pork
  • Barbecue ribs
  • Hamburgers
  • Hot dogs
  • Fried chicken
  • Coleslaw
  • Potato salad

Recipe Notes

  • For extra smoky flavor, cook and crumble the bacon before mixing it into the beans.
  • This recipe can easily be doubled for larger gatherings.
  • Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
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