Recipe: Ranger Rick Ranch Beans (using baked beans and kielbasa, crock pot or oven)

RANGER RICK RANCH BEANS

1 (28 ounce) can baked beans
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
1 (14 ounce) package turkey kielbasa sausage links or similar reduced-fat sausage, cut into bite-size chunks
1/2 cup ketchup
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, well-drained, optional
1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced or chopped garlic
Salt, optional
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, optional
1 or 2 dashes ground red (cayenne) pepper or more, to taste

Place baked beans, onion, bell pepper, sausage, ketchup and diced tomatoes into slow cooker.*

Sprinkle chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper over the top of bean mixture; stir well.

Turn slow cooker to high and cook 2 to 4 hours, or turn slow cooker to low and cook 8 to 10 hours.

*Or preheat oven to 350 degrees F, add all the ingredients to a Dutch oven; stir. Bake for 1 hour.

Makes 8 side servings
Source: Let's Eat, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 10, 2002