Great Grandma Florence's Molasses Baked Beans and Terri's Potato Salad

There are certain things that are absolutely de rigueur when it comes to a BBQ around here.  The first thing is my grandmother’s molasses baked beans.  The second is my friend Terri’s potato salad (with her secret ingredient). 

The main courses can change.  I’ll throw anything on the grill; fillet mignon, salmon, grouper, chicken, sausages even a whole turkey (that takes hours over indirect heat) you name it and I’ll find a method to grill it. But there would be an uproar if these two sides were not included on the menu. 

Molasses Baked Beans

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

1 16oz can each of:

     Red kidney beans

     White kidney beans – Cannellini beans

     Black beans

1 medium onion, diced

½ cup molasses

½ cup Worcester sauce

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 6oz can tomato paste

6 strips of smoky bacon cut into 1 inch pieces

Preheat oven to 325F.

Drain and rinse beans, set aside.  Whisk the molasses, Worcester sauce, sugar, mustard vinegar, tomato paste and paprika together in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

Add beans, bacon and onion to a large ovenproof dish; stir to combine being careful not to break up beans.  Pour molasses mixture over beans, stir to combine.  Cover dish with foil and place on a baking tray to catch any drips.  Bake beans for 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until tender when pierced with a fork.   

Potato Salad – With Terri’s Secret Ingredient

I love this potato salad especially with the addition of my friend Terri’s secret ingredient...pickles!  It’s the southern way just like her Momma used to make.  Perfect for a traditional American BBQ.

Ingredients

Serves 6-8

1-½ lbs new potatoes

1 red pepper, roasted

3 eggs, hard-boiled

1 bunch green onions

7 bread and butter pickles

1-tablespoon pickle juice

1-cup mayonnaise

Paprika

Boil potatoes until tender.  Cool and cut in half.  Dice the red pepper and slice the green onions.  Peel and chop the eggs.  Dice the pickles.  Throw it all together in a large bowl, mix in the mayonnaise and pickle juice then sprinkle with paprika.  Refrigerate until ready to serve

It’s All Delicious notes:  These recipes can easily be doubled, tripled, quadrupled or quintupled.