I have a weakness for canned baked beans.  A barbecue isn't complete without them in my opinion but I've always wanted to master making beans myself.  That'd be much healthier and economical too.  This version maybe doesn't seem healthier to some people seeing as it's loaded with bacon, but I'm going to go ahead and say that it is.  There's got to be way less sugar in this recipe than the canned, less sodium, and all around you know what's in there.

This recipe is a great base that I'm sure I'll make again.  Next time I may add a bit more ketchup so the sauce is thicker and maybe even add some bourbon for a kick.  If the beans aren't the way you like them when they're all done you can of course add more salt, pepper, ketchup, or brown sugar.  You won't need to add more bacon though, that's for sure.



I made these the day before our barbecue and just had to reheat them on the stove the day of the party.  I like to think they were better than if I had made them the day of because the beans got to soak up the flavors even more.  Thanks to cooking these in the crock pot your kitchen will stay nice and cool as you too make these a staple for your kitchen cook-outs all summer long.

{Recipe thanks to Cooks.com}

{Ingredients You'll Need}

• 1 1/2-2 lb. navy beans- dried
• 1/2 lb thickly sliced bacon, roughly chopped
• water
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2/3 cup molasses
• 8 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 peeled onion