The secret to Southern cooking is – ta da! – sugar! Plain white sugar is the preferred form, but it is often brown sugar, as used in this recipe. Southern cooks put sugar in everything! You will find it in salads, veggies, entrees, desserts and even that Southern staple, grits. One of the favorite Southern sandwiches is bread with butter and sugar!

The other secret is that if it is green and it is a vegetable, it not only gets cooked with sugar, but also with meat. In this case, it is bacon, but just about any type of meat will do. If there is no meat available, a Southerner will use bacon grease to season veggies. Yes, they all save their bacon grease – don’t all y’all do that?

 

INGREDIENTS

5 slices lean bacon, chopped

1 cup diced yellow onion

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup chicken broth

1 (16-ounce package) frozen butter beans (baby lima beans)

Salt and pepper, to taste

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less, to taste)

 

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon and onion until bacon is cooked and onions are tender (about 5-7 minutes).

Add brown sugar and chicken broth. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Add frozen butter beans and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until tender. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.

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Quick Tip:  .These cooked beans can be stored up to 1 week in your fridge in an airtight container. You can freeze them for up to 6 months.

Recipe and image courtesy of Amy at The Blond Cook