Recipe for baked beans with peach filling to wow your barbecue guests

Beans are an essential side dish to barbecue, and this recipe adds a new taste sensation to baked beans. Start with Bush's baked beans, which are delicious out of the can, add a few extra ingredients, and you'll have dish that will "wow" your guests.

I was given this recipe many years ago from my ex-father in law, who used to prepare this dish at family barbecues.

Special tools: Large pot, cast iron skillet, or slow cooker; see text
Preparation time: About 15 minutes
Cooking time: About 60 minutes; see text
Yield: 24 generous servings

1 (#10 can, about 6 pound, 10-oz) Bush's baked beans
3 cups canned peach pie filling, any variety
8 strips bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 bell pepper, any variety; red bell pepper enhances presentation
1 large red onion, diced
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, any variety; I prefer hickory
2 tablespoons all-purpose barbecue rub; recipe follows

Cut bacon into 1/2" pieces, separate fat from bacon, reserve bacon. Heat a large skillet (I prefer cast iron) over medium heat. Add bacon fat to pan, stirring, until fat becomes translucent. Add bacon, stirring, until bacon pieces are slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove bacon pieces from pan and transfer to a plate, lined with a paper towel, leaving bacon grease and fat in pan.

Add diced peppers and onions to skillet and cook over medium heat, until translucent; about 5 minutes. Remove fat from pan and discard. Transfer mixture to glass or ceramic casserole dish; I prefer to use a 6-quart cast iron pot.

Add bacon, beans, pie filling, barbecue sauce and rub to pot. Mix to combine. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for one hour.

Instructions for slow cooker or crock pot:

Perform steps 1 and 2. Add bacon, beans, pie filling, diced onions, diced peppers, barbecue sauce and rub to slow cooker. Mix to combine. Cover, and cook at "high" temperature until mixture starts to bubble. Reduce heat to "low" and allow mixture to cook, anywhere from 1 to 4 hours; timing is not critical. Stir as needed. Add additional barbecue sauce for thinner consistency, if desired.

All purpose barbecue rub:

1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, any variety; I prefer dark brown
5 tablespoons black pepper; I prefer freshly ground from peppercorns
1/2 cup Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using omelet whisk, mix together all ingredients until they are well blended. Pay special attention to brown sugar, as it has a tendency to form clumps, and the idea is to have all ingredients well-mixed.

I use a 16-oz plastic squeeze bottle that I've converted to a storage bottle by drilling 1/4" holes in the inner lid. I can easily shake the rub out of the bottle. When I'm finished, I simply snap the lid closed and store the rub in a kitchen cabinet, ready for the next use.

Store in a dark cabinet. The rub will keep for a year or more.

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