👨‍🍳🧑‍🍳 Happy Thursday, Chefs!

Memorial Day Weekend is creeping closer, which means the grills are heating up, coolers are filling fast, and backyard dinner season is officially back in session. 🔥☀️

Earlier this week we fired up those sticky Soy & Orange Marinated Pork Chops, then followed things with a potato salad that honestly deserved its own holiday.

Now we’re rolling into another cookout classic that never survives the picnic table for long.

🍯🔥 Smoky baked beans bubbling with crispy bacon, sweet heat, and sticky BBQ sauce energy. The kind of side dish that belongs next to grilled ribs, cold beer, and somebody arguing over who forgot the burger buns.

👇 Scroll for today’s essential addition to the MDW spread!

Cheers,
~thebacklabel crew🍷🔥

Recipe By: @macy.blackwell

WATCH the Video!

🍯🇺🇸🔥Fun Fact: Baked beans became a summer cookout staple after WWII backyard BBQ culture exploded across America, turning smoky bean pots into picnic-table royalty beside burgers and hot dogs.

8 slices bacon, halved
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
3 (28-oz.) cans pork and beans
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar
2 tsp. dry mustard or 2 tbsp. dijon mustard

1️⃣ Set your oven to 325°F and slide the rack into the lower-middle position. Low-and-slow territory only. 🍯🔥

2️⃣ Drop the bacon into a deep sauté pan and let it slowly render until crispy edges start forming and the pan fills with smoky drippings. Pull the bacon, drain on paper towels, and try not to snack on half of it immediately.

3️⃣ Toss the onion and pepper straight into the bacon drippings. Cook until soft, glossy, and smelling like every great summer cookout you’ve ever crashed. 🌶️🧅

4️⃣ Stir in the beans plus the remaining ingredients and bring everything to a gentle simmer. If your pan starts feeling crowded, transfer the whole situation into a large bowl and mix from there.

5️⃣ Pour the beans into a greased baking dish, crown the top with bacon, and bake for about 2 hours until bubbling, rich, and thick like maple syrup at brunch. Let them rest a few minutes before serving beside grilled meats, cold beer, and loud backyard conversations. 🍻🔥

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