Everybody walk the Dinosaur...Beans

We have had a busy several days with our grandsons in the house. It is hard to get to the computer for recreation and during the day I am working my full time job! Our daughter has been a big help though getting some things done in the house for me, but she really has her hands full taking care of those little guys. They are just so fun! Anyway, here is the bean recipe that I talked about in the post a couple of days ago. These are awesome. The Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is a restaurant in Syracuse, NY (with a sister restaurant in Rochester, NY) was started in 1983 by a few Harley bikers, with the intention of feeding their hungry friends. They traveled around to rallies feeding their friends and having fun. In 1987, they set up shop in downtown Syracuse in a former tavern and the rest is history. This place is really eclectic. You will see lawyers and bikers at tables next to one another. Their pulled pork sandwiches are the best!! They have a great story and it is a fun and interesting restaurant. You can find their cookbooks on line and even order their sauce on line if they aren't in your market. Their recipe for Drunken Spicy Shameless Shrimp is a favorite of our kids, and is also in the book.

For the following recipe, I mixed everything together and put it into a baking dish. About an hour before dinner I put the dish, covered, in a 400 degree oven and got them bubbling hot. Oh YUM!!

Dinosaur-Style Bar-B-Que Beans

(Dinosaur Bar-B-Que An American Roadhouse Cookbook)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 large onion, chopped

3/4 cup chopped green pepper

Pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper

3 large cloves garlic, chopped

8 ounces hot Italian sausage, removed from casing

2 cans (28 oz. each) Bush's baked beans

3/4 cup Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauce

1 Tbsp Zatarain's Creole mustard (or spicy brown mustard)

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp Creole seasoning (recipe follows)

1 Tbsp molasses

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook til soft, adding a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Crumble the sausage into the veggies and cook, chopping to break the meat into small pieces. Cook til the pink disappears. Drain off some of the bean liquid in each can so that it's at the same height of the beans; then mix the contents of both cans into the cooked veggies and sausage. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add all the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve immediately, or cool and reheat before serving.

(Letting the flavors blend awhile never hurts.) Feeds 10-12.

CREOLE SEASONING

This makes a great rub for meat, a sprinkle for your veggies or added as seasoning to casseroles or coatings.

1/2 cup paprika

1/2 cup granulated garlic

1/4 cup granulated onion

3 Tbsp black pepper

2 tsp white pepper

2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 cup dried oregano

1/4 cup dried thyme

2 tsp ground cumin

2 Tbsp sugar

Combine everything in a bowl and mix it up real well. Store in a plastic or glass container with a lid. Makes 2 1/2 cups.