Halloween Hot Dog Spiders
Who doesn't love beaners and wieners? It's a kid-friendly recipe sure to impress any night of the week. This recipe for Homemade CrockPot BBQ Baked Beans uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and some dried navy beans. These beans cook all day in the CrockPot filling your house with a smoky BBQ aroma. Slice up some hot dogs and add them to the crockpot with the beans during the last hour of cooking for a spooky homemade beaners and wieners.
I love my CrockPot, especially this time of year. Things always seem to get busier in the fall, and having a dinner that just involves tossing some ingredients in the CrockPot and turning it on is perfect because to be honest, we all don't always have time to make dinner. These homemade CrockPot BBQ Baked Beans are so delicious, you'll never want to buy the canned version again. This recipe makes quite a bit too, so once it cools down, toss your leftover beans in a tupperware container and freeze for another meal.
I've wanted to share a Homemade CrockPot BBQ Baked Beans Recipe for a while now and have just never really gotten around to it. This Halloween was a perfect time to share this easy, delicious homemade recipe. It's pretty similar to a Halloween Recipe that I shared last year for Worms and Spiders In Dirt which was also beaners and wieners, but with canned beans and some funky "spiders" made with spaghetti and hot dogs.
To make these every day baked beans or every day beaners and wieners, skip slicing the ends of the hot dogs, and just add hot dogs either sliced, or whole during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
To make these beaners and wieners for Halloween, you need to slice your hot dogs. When the hot dogs cook, the ends will shrivel up making them look like spider legs. To make hot dog spiders, start by slicing hot dogs in half. Then, cut about 1/3 of the way up the hot dog on each side, leaving 1/3 in the middle. Turn hot dog 180 degrees, and slice 1/3 of the way again, creating a cross, or an x in the side of each hot dog.
If you don't have navy beans, you can substitute for any dried white bean, even pinto beans or red beans. Baked Beans were always a staple in my house, we even had them with our bacon and eggs at breakfast, and Dad who only eats a certain brand of canned bbq baked beans that he makes family in Canada send him will eat these homemade baked beans. They are so simple to make that you'll find yourself donating all those cans of baked beans to your local food bank!
CrockPot BBQ Baked Beans
Ingredients:
1 lb dried navy beans, rinsed and picked over 1/2 lb bacon, diced 1 onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 2 cloves garlic, smashed 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/8 cup molasses 2 tbsp dijon mustard 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 1 1/2 cups homemade bbq sauce 2 tsp mesquite seasoning (or any bbq seasoning) 1 tsp each; salt, paprika and thyme 1/2 tsp black pepper 1, 32 oz chicken stock or 4 cups homemade chicken stock water
Directions:
Add beans to a medium pot and cover with water by about 1/2”. Bring to a boil. Cover and let sit, untouched for 1 1/2 hours.
Drain beans and add to crockpot base.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add bacon, and start to cook, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes.
Add onion and green pepper and seasonings, cook, stirring constantly until the onion starts to soften and bacon gets crispy - about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add to base of crockpot.
Add remaining ingredients to crockpot and stir to combine.
Add enough water to cover the beans by about 1”.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
If adding hot dogs, stir beans and add hot dogs to the top of beans in the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Do you have a favorite Halloween recipe? Share it with us below!
