Perfectly Practical Party Pointer

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

This weekend we have lots of company coming over for various get togethers and I bet you do too for a little thing called the Superbowl.  You may have heard that it was coming soon to a TV near you.

We love to entertain but with a small grocery budget, we have to make the most of what we've got.  One way to do that is to "kick it up a notch" like my Dad says.

Bold flavors are the norm for any self-respecting Texan's kitchen and if you were to do a spot check in this Texan's kitchen, I can guarantee that you would find TABASCO® Original Red at any time.

We use it in our chili or beans or on our eggs or greens in anything that just needs a little boost.

In fact, it is sort of my go to condiment if the flavor just needs some lagniappe.  Take pizza for instance, the tang of the vinegar and added heat of the chillies just livens up the flavor. 

I'm thinking extra good on a barbecue chicken pizza...it makes it almost like a buffalo wings pizza.  Pizza and wings are the perfect combo for most guys I know.  If you are looking for other great pizza possibilities, head over to the Pizza Perfected page.  (I may be in love with the Caramelized Onion Pizza...so simple yet so wonderful.)

TABASCO® Original Red is so much more than hot.  We convinced our English friends of this while away at a church retreat.  They never would have tried it had it not been for us insisting that they have it with some red beans and rice I had fixed.  From then on, they were hooked and starting putting it in all kinds of unlikely English dishes.  We still get asked to send TABASCO® care packages over to the U.K. from time to time.

With all of the wishy-washy nature of what is good and what is bad for us one thing has remained constant and that is:  less is more when it comes in the amount of ingredients.  There are a whopping 3 ingredients in TABASCO® Original Red, salt, hot peppers, and vinegar, that's it.

I am going to let you in on a little secret because I like you:  I make some mean beans. 

No really. 

That's what they are called Mean Beans and they are delicious!  What makes 'em mean you ask?  Why, TABASCO® Original Red m'dears. 

My gift to you this Superbowl, is this recipe.  Enjoy.

Mean Beans

84 oz. Pork & Beans
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbs. prepared yellow mustard
4 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce (in England they say wooster sauce - just thought you might like to know)
3-4 Tbs. TABASCO® Original Red
16 oz. box brown sugar
Bacon strips

Dump all ingredients except for the bacon in a 9x13 pan.  Give them a good mixing.  Adjust to taste.
Lay out some raw bacon strips across the top of the beans (it will probably take 5 or 6.)

Bake at 325F for 2 hours.

If you would like some help planning a menu for the big day, check out the Game-Day Party Menu page.  While you are there, grab a $.50 printable coupon toward your next purchase of this versatile (and frugal) sauce.

As a side note, if you have been a regular visitor to this blog for a while, you may have surmised that I love sharing with you products that we use and really like.  What I love even more is when the company behind the products is equally likable.  The TABASCO® company is still family owned and operated and supports local wildlife preservation, lots of local charities, and has stayed true to their founding ideals for over a hundred and forty years.  What can get better than that?