An easy way to make canned baked beans taste homemade! 

Directions:

• 1 c bacon, cooked
• 2 c onion, diced
• 1 Tab minced garlic
• 3 cans baked beans 28 oz each
• 1 ½ c chili sauce
• 1/3 c Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/3 c mustard
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried red chili
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 c brown sugar

Directions:

1. Mix it all together.
2. Place in an oiled casserole.
3. Heat, covered, in the oven for an hour, uncovered for another 1/2 hour.  (or in a crock pot until the onions are soft.)

Serves:  25

Source:  Cathy Painter – an old family recipe

Another roasted vegetable.  They really are better than boiled or microwaved.  You can add Parmesan cheese, and/or lemon.
Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 lbs green beans – frozen or fresh
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 -2 tablespoon olive oil (or just enough to lightly coat beans)
• 1 – 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp coarse ground pepper
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 Tab balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Wash, dry well, and trim green beans. Or defrost and dry the frozen beans.
3. Coat a large baking sheet with the olive oil.
4. Place the green beans on the sheet and toss with garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and balsamic.
5. spread them out in one layer.    They brown best when they are not crowded.
6. Roast for 8 minutes, stir green beans, and roast another 7-12 minutes until the beans just start to crisp on the end.  (They may take longer – depends on ???)
7. Remove from oven and serve.

Serves: 4

Source:  Confections of a Foodie Bride

A little stirring, no burned pan bottom, and if you use a liner – no cleanup.  What’s not to like??  Just remember – this is not fast cooking!

Ingredients:

• 1 #10 can refried beans
• 1/2 lb cheese (Jack, cheddar, mixed)

Directions:

1. Put it all in the crock pot.
2. Stir whenever you walk by.

Serves:   20-25

Source:   Ran out of large pots

Quick and easy!  You can vary the cheese – Rondelé, goat cheese, chèvre – almost any soft creamy cheese will work.  Add bacon and your reputation is golden!  I topped it with crispy onions.

Ingredients:

• 1 c (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 (10-ounce) boxes frozen spinach (about 2 lbs fresh)
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and ground white pepper
• grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cooke the spinach in boiling water 3 minutes.
2. Drain well.
3. Stir in  the cream cheese and let melt.
4. Place in serving dish.
5. Sprinkle the  Parmesan cheese and nutmeg on top and season with salt and pepper.

Do-ahead Directions:

1. Defrost spinach.
2. Squeeze dry.
3. Grease casserole with butter.
4. Place half the spinach in the dish.
5. Sprinkle half the cheese over spinach.
6. Spread remaking spinach over cheese.
7. Sprinkle remaining cheese over casserole.
8. Cover with foil
9. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
10. Bring to room temperature.
11. Heat oven to 325°.
12. Place covered dish in oven.
13. Heat for 20 minutes.
14. Uncover and stir in salt and pepper.
15. Sprinkle on topping – cheese, crispy onions, pine nuts etc.
16. Return to oven and heat for 10 minutes.

Serves:  6

Source:  Suggestion from a friend.

It is hard to beat onions and potatoes.  This recipe makes them even better with butter and onion soup mix.
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed, cut into wedges
• 2 onions, cut into chunks
• 1/3 c olive oil
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 envelope onion soup mix (1.2 oz – 1 heaping Tab.)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Combine all ingredients in large roasting pan.
3. Toss well.
4. Bake until potatoes are crisp and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
5. Season potatoes to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves: 8

Source:  Epicurious – Bon Appetite, October 1992, Carol Rock

This is really a no brainer – but we like to document how to do it for a crowd.  You can use frozen pre-diced onions (3 – 4 pounds) but bigger pieces are nicer.

Ingredients:

• 6 onions (1 1/2# )
• 1/2 # butter
• 1 c red wine

Directions:

1. Peel the onions.
2. Cut in half – top to bottom.
3. Slice thin.
4. Melt butter in frying pan.
5. Saute onions until just golden.
6. Add wine.
7. Simmer until wine is almost gone.
8. Serve hot.

Serves:  Makes enough to serve with beef/chicken for 50

Source:  Margie