Mom had a baked bean recipe that we made at almost every meal that included grilled burgers. Her beans were not baked, but simmered on the stove top. They are good hot, cold or three days later. As I grew older, I thought this short cut recipe might not be as good as true baked beans. So, I searched some vintage cookbooks for a recipe. Here's what I found:

Home Baked Beans

2 cups navy beans
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 small onion, minced
4 tablespoons molasses
1 tsp. dry mustard
4 tablespoons catsup
1/4 lb. salt pork

Soak beans over night in cold water. Drain, add 1 & 1/2 quarts of fresh water, the onion and cook slowly until the skins burst. Drain and save the liquid. Mix molasses, seasoning and catsup with 1 cup of the liquid. Put half the salt port or bacon in the bottom of a bean pot or baking dish, add the beans and top with remainder of pork. Pour molasses mixture over beans, add more liquid to cover. Bake for 5 hours in slow oven (300-f). Uncover for the last 30 minutes. Add water, if necessary, while cooking.

I have to admit that I never tried that recipe. When you're craving Mom's baked beans, you pretty much want them now. If I had known the night before that I would be craving baked beans the next day, I could have started those beans soaking. But, Mom's recipe is hard to beat.

Sometimes I add a little prepared mustard and use bacon bits when I don't have fresh bacon handy.

Mom's Baked Beans

3 cans pork & beans (15 oz cans)
6 slices of bacon
1 small onion, diced
3/4 cup dark brown sugar

Cut bacon into small pieces about the size of a diced onion. In a large non-stick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add onion and continue cooking until onion is tender and bacon is done. Drain bacon drippings. Add pork & beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add dark brown sugar, Stir until sugar is dissolved. Continue to simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes or until beans thicken.