Beanie Weenies From A Can? No Way!

This is my family's version of beanie weenies. No, not those ones from the can, but a recipe that combines the two into what we think is a delicious meal. This elevates the humble beans and franks to a whole new level.

It's good, it's easy and it uses things that you are likely to have on hand in your fridge, freezer and pantry. It's perfect for a weeknight because it mixes up in the same dish that you bake it in and it can be a complete meal if need be.

Start by draining 4 cans of pork and beans. A little liquid is ok, but try to get most of the juice off and pick out all of the pork pieces. Unless you like that sort of thing and then you can just leave it in. Me, I pick it out.

Add brown sugar (heart shape is optional), ketchup, mustard and pepper. About a cup of chopped up onion is good here too, but we were out.

Mix it all up. If you stop right here and put it into the oven or crock pot, you will be well on your way to some yummy weeknight baked beans.

Cut a pack of hot dogs in half lengthwise and lay them over the beans.

Shred up some cheddar cheese and sprinkle it on the top, primarily trying to cover all of the hot dogs. Put it into the oven for about an hour until the hot dogs and cheese are starting to turn brown and crunchy.

The beans will be thin, so let it set for about 10 minutes.

Grab a plate and load it up!

I hope that at least some of you are still with me. I know, beans and hot dogs right? Not very elegant or even very healthy. But, it is one of our favorites and I can almost always make it. You can pair this with salad, steamed veggies or, our favorite, cornbread.

Recipe

4 15-oz cans of pork and beans, drained

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons mustard

1 teaspoon pepper

1 lb pack of hot dogs

2 cups grated cheese

1 cup chopped onion, optional

Drain pork and beans; put into a 9x13 baking dish. Add brown sugar, ketchup, mustard and pepper, stir to combine. Cut hot dogs in half lengthwise, place on top of bean mixture, Spread cheese evenly over the top concentrating on getting the cheese mostly on the hot dogs. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour or until the cheese and hot dogs begin to brown. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.