BBQ Baked Beans

I made these for the first time to serve at our summer party this past weekend. They came out good and were well received. The recipe is a keeper. This is actually a recipe form Famous Dave's that I received with my last shipment I ordered from the of their BBQ sauces and rubs. I ate there with my brother Ron and Deb in Omaha when we were back there a few years ago and we became fans of the taste of their sauces and grilling rubs. This recipe uses one of the their BBQ sauces, but you could use your favorite as well, though the taste will of course be different.

Grill or fry until blackened 8 oz. of mild smoked sausages. (The ones I bought said mild but have a kick to them which was good in this recipe) You can also smoke them again on your grill which I did not do. Once cooked, cut each sausage lengthwise and then in quarters. Then cut quarters into slices. Set aside.

You'll need 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper and 1 cup chopped onion, 1 (28 oz) can baked beans, and 1 bottle (20 oz) of Famous Dave's Rich and Sassy BBQ Sauce.

Saute peppers and onions just until onions are slightly softened. Add sliced sausages, beans and BBQ sauce. Stir to blend. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. These are better made 10 hours to 2 days ahead of time. Cover and place in fridge for the flavors to meld well. This is a must. The taste really does improve. Enjoy at your next BBQ.

Pesto Chicken Packets

Made these the other night for dinner and they were delicious. This entree is on our menu rotation now.

To make two entrees: Slice 1 zucchini, chop 2 Roma tomatoes and clean 4 to 8 green onions, saving the white and mostly pale green parts for the recipe.

Cut heavy duty foil into 12 to 15 inch long pieces. One per entree. Drizzle a a little EVOO on the center of each piece of foil and place a boneless, skinless chicken breast on each. Spread each breast with a tablespoon of pesto. Pile the half of each veggie on each chicken breast, starting with zucchini and ending with green onions.

Spread another 2 to 3 tablespoons of pesto on top of each one. Bring foil up and seal top then sides to make a leak proof packet. Place packets on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 355 degree F oven for about 35 to 40 minutes. (You can also cook these on your grill using indirect method, grill preheated to medium. Close grill when cooking for about 25 minutes.

When finished cooking, carefully open each packet. There is a lot of steam, be careful. It created lovely juice when cooking. I removed from packets and served a top steamed brown rice. Buon Appetito!