Nancy's Baked Beans

My aunt Nancy is known for her baked beans. At every cookout or family get together, you can guarantee that she is making this dish. I finally broke down and asked her for the recipe and it's actually pretty easy. Here's the recipe straight from her:

This recipe is usually for 2 to 3 cans of beans (the larger sizes) I think they are 28 oz beans (not the gargantuan cans). Van Camp original recipe beans work the best. I will use other beans if they are on sale but just drain the liquid. I don't really have a recipe I follow, it just goes more by taste. Some people don't like it too sweet but the majority like it exactly like this and sweet.


1 1lb roll of sausage regular flavor (ie Bob Evans regular - not maple - it's just 2 much)
2 - 3 can beans
dark brown sugar
ketchup

Cook up sausage (sometimes I add onions) I cook in on high to get it real brown. The last recipe I made for the cookout was actually...... wait 4 it .........TURKEY SAUSAGE. No one ever knows the difference. Not with that much brown sugar.

While it's cooking measure about 2 cups of brown sugar in a bowl. If you make this recipe enough times you'll figure out how much brown sugar you'd use. I think mines about a 1 1/2 to 2 cups. I'm usually just dumping in the brown sugar. Also depends on how many cans of beans you are using.

SLOWLY add ketchup a little at a time to get a THICK sauce. It will be grainy and when it cooks down it will melt the sugar. When the sausage is done cooking, turn down to low and add brown sugar mix. Stir into sausage and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Then it smells like BBQ sauce. I usually let it cook down a good 10 to 15 minutes. Then add your beans and let them simmer on low for awhile and stir periodically! I have found that this recipe cooks really well in a dutch oven on top the stove. Voila!!