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For a July 4 potluck, it can’t get any easier than these baked beans

By Carla Vigos

Laguna Woods Globe cooking columnist

Summertime and the livin’ is easy. Barbecues and outdoor potluck gatherings are happening, and you need to bring a dish.

My friend in Laguna Woods, Steve Meislahn, shared his baked bean recipe with me. This is an easy recipe based on the beans you used to get at Love’s Wood Pit Barbecue Restaurant.

You can cook them in the oven or a crockpot. They were the hit of a recent Foodies Club event, and Steve was willing to share his version of these crowd-pleasing beans.

For questions or comments cjvigos@yahoo.com.

Steve’s Baked Beans

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground beef

3 to 4 strips of bacon

2 28-ounce cans of original Bush’s Baked Beans

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup chili sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons chili powder

Optional diced green onions

DIRECTIONS

Cook the ground beef and break into small pieces. Drain off the fat. Cook the bacon and dice after draining.

Combine all ingredients and bake in a covered casserole dish in a 400-degree oven for 1 hour.  Uncover and bake until desired thickness, about 20 minutes.

You can also put the ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 4 hours.

Optional garnish of chopped green onions is delicious.