Crack Green Beans, Jane’s Baked Beans and Mary’s Hamburger Soup
After sharing with all of you some of my two grandmother’s recipes, I hope you will do the same for your children and grandchildren. As much as my mother and I were in the kitchen together, I still find myself wanting to ask her advice concerning different recipes that she and I shared together. Your children will find it a comforting record of family memories of the tastes and aromas of mom’s cooking from her wonderful kitchen. A special gift after collecting some treasured recipes would be to have them mounted in a special frame. It would be a sweet personal accent to anyone’s kitchen. I remember that when I attended Chance Bedwell’s bridal shower years ago, her mother gave her a scrapbook full of her grandmother’s recipes. I was so impressed! Wow, what a gift!
The recipes this week are some that my sister and I have made for our families and, of course, we wanted to share them with all of you.
Crack Green Beans
5 cans French style green beans, drained (I have used other green beans)
12 slices bacon, cooked
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
7 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Put beans in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Add the cooked bacon pieces. (I cut my uncooked bacon in pieces with kitchen sheers and brown in a skillet). Mix the remaining ingredients (crack sauce). Pour over beans and bake 50 minutes at 325 degrees. Toss and serve.
Andy’s Note: This is the rage at my house! Matthew said they were the best green beans he had ever eaten. Mary Virginia gave the recipe to some of her co-workers and they are putting the sauce on ribs and other meats. I told my sister this morning that I was going to fill a pint canning jar with this sauce and keep it in the refrigerator ready to use. You must try this!
Jane’s Baked Beans
1 pound ground beef
1 sweet onion
finely chopped
1 bell pepper
finely chopped
2 cans (28 ozs. Bush’s Baked Beans)
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons spicy
brown mustard
2 tablespoons
Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 tablespoons
brown sugar
6 slices bacon
cut into pieces
Brown the beef. When beef is about halfway done, add the onions and peppers. Cook and drain. Add all other ingredients except bacon. Simmer for five minutes. Transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle bacon pieces over the top and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake an additional 10 minutes.
Andy’s Note: Jane King is a fabulous cook, and these beans are delicious. Mary said that were even better the second day. Thanks Jane, for sharing some of your wonderful recipes.
Mary’s Hamburger Soup
1 pound ground chuck
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
2 medium potatoes,
peeled and diced
3 1/2 cups beef broth
1 can (28 oz) diced
tomatoes with juice
1 can condensed
tomato soup
2 teaspoons
Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Italian
seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups mixed vegetables (Mary used black eyed peas, baby limas and shoe peg corn)
Brown beef, onion and garlic until no longer pink. Drain. Add potatoes, broth, tomatoes, soup, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Stir in vegetables. Simmer 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are done.
Andy’s Note: When I use fresh vegetables or frozen, I put all in one pot and cook until done and then add to my soup stock. This makes a large pot and leftovers freeze really well. These bean recipes will be great for cookouts this summer. Put them in a foil pan with absolutely no cleanup.
Next week will definitely be some squash and cabbage recipes. I hope my mailbox or email will be full of some your favorite recipes! Email me at andrbdw@aol.com or write to me at Andy Bedwell, 705 Coosa Drive, Gadsden, 35901.
Happy Summer Cooking,
Andy Bedwell
“Southern Cooking with Andy Bedwell” can be purchased at Alabama Gift Company and the Messenger on Rainbow Drive.