Cowboy Beans

 
     Although it's in the 20's today, the lack of wind and brilliant blue sky beckoned me outside to give this campfire recipe a try.  Just a tip, when you're cooking in the frigid weather, you have to slow things down and remind yourself not to place your hot oven or lid on the snow or icy ground.  The extremes in temperature could easily cause it to crack.
     From Hillshire Farm, I have to say these beans are downright delicious and when topped with smoked sausage, they're guaranteed to leave you feeling fat and happy.  In my 10 inch dutch oven, I sauteed the bacon and onion over a full compliment of coals.  Once the bacon had browned I moved the bottom coals to a ring of 10 around the base of the oven and covered the beans with 20 coals on the lid.  They took a full forty minutes to cook and the smells steaming from my oven told me they were bound to be good.  This may become my new go to bean recipe which can easily be doubled if you're feeding a crowd of hungry cowhands. 

Cowboy Beans
1 package smoked sausage (Kielbasa)
1/4 lb bacon, chopped (about 4 slices)
1 onion, chopped
1 15 oz can baked beans
1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can Lima beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp prepared yellow mustard
2 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp salt

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     In large bowl combine beans, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, cider vinegar and salt.
     Cook bacon and onion over a full spread of coals until bacon is brown and onions are tender.
     Move bottom coals to a ring around base of dutch oven.
     Add bean mixture to dutch oven, stir until well combined.
     Cover with as many coals as needed on lid to bring beans to a bubble.
     Simmer for 20 minutes.
     Add sausage; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until sausage is heated through.
     Makes six 1 cup servings.

Saute onion and bacon over a full compliment of coals

Add bean mixture

When beans have simmered for 20 minutes top with smoked sausage

Continue cooking for 15 minutes or until sausage is heated through

Tangy, smoky and most definitely filling