Six kinds of beans add to the magic. (Photo: Chris Diebel)
By Chris Diebel
Our friend and neighbor Cathy Lacy is one of those effortlessly gifted hosts, the kind who channels an Ina Garten-style charm to make everyone feel instantly at home the moment they arrive. She’s an exceptional cook, too, and one of the best perks of living nearby is the occasional spontaneous invitation to come sample whatever she’s working on in the kitchen. When my phone pings, I come running.
Not long ago, Cathy invited us over to try a new barbecue rib recipe she was perfecting for summer. The ribs were fantastic, but what really stole the show was the side: a batch of baked beans so flavorful they had everyone texting about them the next day. Made with several bean varieties, sautéed peppers and onions, Graziano sausage, barbecue sauce and beer, this humble dish turned into the centerpiece of the evening.
A few weeks later, Cathy graciously offered to whip up a second batch and share the recipe with dsm. Naturally, this turned into another impromptu gathering with our spouses, this time with smash burgers and a refreshing salad of watermelon, feta and mint. Once again, those baked beans were the crowd favorite.
These casual get-togethers have become some of my favorite events, with good food, great company and the kind of memories that linger long after the plates are cleared. We hope Cathy’s recipe brings the same joy to your summer cookouts as it has to ours.
Cathy Lacy’s Baked Beans
Ingredients
1 16-ounce can wax beans, drained
1 16-ounce can cut green beans, drained
1 16-ounce can butter beans, drained
1 16-ounce can black beans, drained
2 16-ounce cans BBQ baked beans, with liquid
2 16-ounce cans ranch style beans (seasoned pintos), with liquid
1 16-ounce can tomato paste
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup BBQ sauce (Cathy prefers Rufus Teague Honey Sweet BBQ)
1 small onion, diced (Cathy prefers a Vidalia when available)
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small yellow pepper, diced
2 hot sausage links, sliced
2 regular sausage links, sliced
1 bottle of beer (Cathy uses Stella Artois)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Open all the canned products and place their contents in a slow cooker. Add brown sugar and BBQ sauce.
In a sauté pan, cook the onion, peppers and sausages together for 6-10 minutes so the flavors meld. Then add them to the slow cooker.
Top the bean mixture with half a bottle of beer before closing the lid and cooking on low for 6-7 hours. As you check the progress throughout the day, stir occasionally and add the remaining beer as needed if the beans start to look a little dry.
Contributing writer Chris Diebel is a public affairs consultant and founding partner of Bubba – Southern Comforts.
Show Comments (0)