Crock Pot Baked Beans ~ A Summer Favorite

We love baked beans and we eat them all year long.  But whenever I plan a summer, barbecue menu I can't help but include baked beans. 

I love to make a large crock pot full of  baked beans and freeze in smaller portions.  This makes it very convenient to have our favorite beans whenever we want and not have to settle for the store bought cans of beans. 

Although, I've started using dry beans for other recipes, I haven't converted to dried beans for my baked bean recipes yet.  I want to, I just haven't gotten around to it yet.  But it is something I want to try sometime soon. 

Today, I want to share two recipes for baked beans that I originally posted on my other blog, My Vintage Kitchen. 

This first recipe is currently our favorite (can't you tell by the name?): 

Our Favorite Baked Beans


Ingredients:

• 1 (28 oz.) can baked beans, undrained
• 2(15 oz.) cans butter beans, drained
• 2 (15 oz.) cans kidney beans, drained
• 1 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1 cup onion, finely diced
• 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup and mustard combined (heavier on the ketchup)
• 1/4 - 1/2 c. bacon crumbles or crisp cooked bacon, crumbled

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in crock pot. 
• Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

The next recipe, I haven't made in a while.  I'm thinking it should be my next batch of beans, just for something a little different.  Plus, I need a photo for this recipe, so it's a good excuse to make a batch of these: 



Baked Beans with Apples


Ingredients:

• 2 cans (28 oz each) pork and beans
• 1 1/2 cups onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cups Granny Smith Apple, diced
• 2 Tbs. mustard
• 1/2 -3/4 cup brown sugar
• 8-10 slices Canadian Bacon

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients (except Canadian Bacon) in crock pot.
• Top with Canadian Bacon.
• Cover and cook for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low.

I made a few changes to the original recipe that I found on Food Network. It's a Paula Deen recipe. I left out the salt, replaced raw bacon for Canadian Bacon and I cook them in the crock pot instead of the oven.

I'll be linking this post to Works for Me Wednesday.  Today the topic is summer recipes.  Follow me over to We are That Family for more summer recipe ideas!  Also, check out the "So Long Summer Blog BBQ" over at Singing with Birds.