Barbeque Butterbeans

Ingredients

5 cups cooked butterbeans (I used 1 ½ 12 oz packages of frozen beans and cooked them briefly in salted water – you could use canned – well rinsed, or dried if you are a clever person who really plans ahead)

½ onion, finely chopped

1 small bell pepper – red, green or yellow – finely chopped

¾ cups ketchup

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp mustard

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup maple syrup (real)

1 tsp salt (taste – the saltiness of the butterbeans can vary and you may need more)

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Optional: Tbsp fresh thyme or tsp dried

2 slices center cut bacon, cut into one inch pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients except the bacon.

Pour mixture into a 9 x 12 or similar size casserole coated with cooking spray.

Top with bacon.

Bake for 30 minutes or until beans are bubbly and bacon is crisp (you can broil for a minute to crisp bacon)

Enjoy! Leftovers keep for several days in the fridge.