It’s barbeque season.

I love to get my grill on, but when it comes to the perfect barbeque meal,  it’s all about the beans.  Just click on the arrow to hear the audio post.  And the recipes mentioned in this post are featured below.

The Best Baked Beans

Ingredients
2 – 15 ounce cans White Northern Beans, drained
4 strips cooked bacon (smoked applewood or turkey, torn into pieces – optional)
¼ cup molasses
2 tablespoons dehydrated onion
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
1½ cup of your favorite barbeque sauce or try my “Have It Your Way Barbeque Sauce”

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook  bacon according to package directions. Cool and break into pieces.

Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Empty mixture into a glass or French White baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven and serve.

Have it your way Barbeque Sauce

Directions
2 – 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Red Velvet Gourmet Spice Rub and Seasoning
¼ teaspoon celery seed
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
¼ teaspoon hickory smoke seasoning
½ cup liquid (fresh orange juice, store bought orange juice, pomegranate, pineapple juice, mango juice, apple juice, water, bourbon, tequila, grand mangier)

Directions
In saucepan, combine all ingredients. Simmer covered, 10 minutes. Brush ribs or chicken with sauce during last 10 minutes of grilling or broiling.

Here’s how you customize the sauce your way. You have ½ cup liquid to play with. For my recipe I used ½ freshly squeezed orange juice. I shared the recipe with a friend and she used ¼ cup fresh orange juice and ¼ cup tequila. If you used store bought juices like orange or pineapple or mango, use ¼ cup juice and ¼ cup water. Apple juice does not have to be diluted. For alcohol or liqueurs use ¼ cup, plus ¼ cup water. Play around with it, be fearless and have fun. It’s sauce your way.