Chris Lilly, pitmaster at Big Bob Gibson's in Birmingham, Alabama, gives three cooking suggestions for the traditional side dish for barbecue.

Traditional Slow-Cooked Baked Beans

3 (28-ounce) cans baked beans
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce or ketchup
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons prepared mustard

1. In 5 to 6-quart slow crockery cooker, combine beans, bell pepper, onion, brown sugar, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Cover and cook on high-heat setting for 4 1/2 hours.

Serves 6.

Oven Method: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). In large shallow roasting pan, combine all ingredients. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Stir. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes more.

Serving Suggestion: Serve the baked beans inside red bell peppers. Cut the top off of several red bell peppers making bowls and lids. Hollow out the peppers removing all of the stems and seeds. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly coat the outside of the peppers with olive oil. Place pepper bowls and lids side by side on a cookie sheet and bake for 6 minutes. Remove and fill peppers with cooked beans. Cook for an additional 6 minutes.

Recipe provided courtesy of Pork, The Other White Meat.