5-4-3 Baked Beans

Spring has sprung and summer is never far behind. With warmer weather approaching, that means one thing to me. GRILLING.

Grilling is just one of those things that we all love doing when the temps heat up. To be perfectly honest, I try and grill year round. Our weather here in Virginia was so mild this past winter that I was able to grill pretty much every month. Will that be our new normal? Who knows! I loved it, so I hope so.

Why am I harping on grilling right now? Because my favorite side dish to anything grilled are these 5-4-3 Baked Beans.

I’m kinda known for these beans, y’all. All of my friends and family have requested this for various parties and get togethers. There is never any leftover, ever. And they are so easy to make, you wouldn’t believe it.

I call them 5-4-3 beans because of the condiment amounts used in the recipe. 5 tablespoons maple syrup, 4 tablespoons ketchup, 3 tablespoons mustard. It makes it very easy to recall the recipe without having to look it up.

On the very unlikely chance that you actually have leftovers, these beans will keep in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

For larger parties where I have used several cans of beans, the cooking time may need to be adjusted accordingly. Deeper dishes (like this one from Rachel Ray that I love) will require longer cooking times, longer dishes (think those large aluminum pans) won’t.

Conversely, these beans can be made in the slow cooker. Cook the onions as directed (or not, this step can be skipped for slow cooking), add all ingredients except bacon, and cook on high 3-4 hours, low 5-6. Add bacon when ready to serve.

I hope you enjoy this great side dish! A huge family favorite for all!