Party baked beans perfect for a crowd

This bean dish recipe goes together in 30 minutes.

I have been enjoying this party-size bean recipe for almost 20 years. My friend Doug Funk has given me the recipe more times than I can remember. I have written it on napkins at picnics, on the back of paper plates at community cookouts, and on shreds of paper tablecloths from church functions. You’d think I would have memorized it after all those times having written it down.

But it wasn’t until I typed the recipe directly into my smart phone in Reynosa, Mexico, during a mission trip community dinner that I actually held onto the recipe. So after all these years, I have the recipe to share with you. It’s a big batch and perfect for a party or cookout. Because these beans are slightly sweet, kids especially love them.

Doug’s Party Beans are perfect for your Labor Day celebration, too.

Doug’s Party Beans

Start to finish: 30 minutes

Yield: 20 servings

1 pound 93 percent lean ground beef

1 cup plain barbecue sauce of choice

½ cup dark brown sugar, medium packed

1 envelope onion soup and recipe mix

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

32 ounces canned baked beans without pork

16 ounces canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed

In a large skillet (12-cup capacity), brown ground beef until crumbly, about six minutes.

Add the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, baked beans with can juices, and pinto beans. Stir well to mix.

Simmer on low heat until heated well and slightly bubbly along the edges. Serve or continue to simmer on very low heat until ready to serve, up to two hours.

Approximate values per serving: 151 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated), 13 mg cholesterol, 8 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 541 mg sodium.

Contact Alicia Ross at Kitchen Scoop, c/​o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106, or send email to tellus@kitchenscoop.com. Visit the Kitchen Scoop website at www.kitchenscoop.com.