Thursday’s Side Dish: Sausage and beans go together, too

A meaty match with beans
The Mixed Stew crew still enjoys the combination of plain hotdog franks cut into bite-sized pieces and then simmered with regular canned baked beans as a simple lunch or dinner. We recommend serving this one-pot dish with steamed rice or potatoes. The tasty sauce of the canned beans works as a gravy that binds and provides flavor in every bite. Wanna kick it up a notch? Substitute hotdog franks for sliced andouille sausage, smoked kielbasa, or polish sausage. Also, add a tablespoon of brown sugar, molasses, or honey to sweeten. The salty cured sausage provides an appetizing, yet contradictory flavor component to the added sweetness.