Baked Beans - Secret Ingredient
In June 2018 my brother Dino and his wife Marci were visiting us in Pawleys Island. I needed a vegetarian baked bean recipe for our neighborhood cook out. With secret ingredient in its title I had to look at this recipe. It used different seasonings (cumin, cayenne pepper, paprika) than I had seen in traditional baked bean recipes. However, these don't qualify as a "secret ingredient." So what is it? Cherry pie filling! Crazy enough that I had to make it. Except it called for bacon and pork & beans. Hardly vegetarian. I substituted vegetarian baked beans and omitted the bacon. Delicious! This is a frequently requested recipe.
Original recipe on blackberrybabe.com
Ingredients
1 small onion, diced (I use more onion)2 28 oz cans of baked beans (any flavor you like)
1/2 cup brown sugar
16 oz cherry pie filling (optional - I broke up most of the cherries with my fingers)
1 tsp paprika
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (add in small increments to taste)
1 tsp cumin
5 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 slices smoked bacon, diced - Optional (This recipe has a bold flavor - I don't think the bacon is needed)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (177 degrees Celsius)Sauté onions and bacon in large pot
Add beans, brown sugar, pie filling, spices and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.
Transfer into 9" x 13" pan.
Bake for one hour. *
*If using a slow cooker, cook on low for 3-4 hours. Sauté onions and bacon before adding them to the slow cooker. Raw onions can overpower the dish.