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Hello, foodies…

I’m having a wonderful vacation…thanks for all of your well-wishes. I’ll be back for In the Kitchen with David on Wednesday. This Sunday, my dear friend Jill Bauer will be joining you in the kitchen. She’s delighted to share my recipe for Slow-Cooked Baked Beans because it’s, well, AWESOME!! In the meantime, here’s how you make this classic recipe.

Slow-Cooked Baked Beans
Serves 6–8

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb thick-cut bacon, diced


• 1 large onion, diced


• 1 lb dried pinto beans


• 5 cups water


• 3/4 cup unsulfured molasses


• 1/2 cup ketchup


• 1/4 cup yellow mustard


• 1 tsp salt


• 1 tsp black pepper

Preparation:

1. Cook the bacon over medium heat in a medium-size skillet. When the bacon begins to brown, add the onions and sauté until translucent.


2. Place the beans into the slow cooker with the water, bacon, and onion. Cover and set the slow cooker on high for 3 hours.


3. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Combine the molasses, ketchup, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.


4. After 3 hours add the sauce and stir to combine. Cover and let the beans cook an additional hour.

This recipe is prepared using the Ninja 3-in-1 6-Qt Nonstick Cooking System with Cookbook and Accessories (K39754).

Go to David's Recipe Item Page for the full list of items that David has used in his recipes.

I love the concept of cooking this in a slow cooker. In the middle of the summer, when you’re really craving this dish, it’s too hot to bake anything. Luckily, a slow-cooker won’t make your air conditioning work any harder than it has to, yet it marries the ingredients the same way your oven can through baking.

We’ve had a pretty tasty July filled with so many summer’s bests, don't you think? Lucky for me—and all of us—my friend Megan, the genius behind the heart-warming blog Project-Housewife sent me another summer favorite: Bruschetta! But she took this classic to a whole new level!

This month’s theme gives us permission to enjoy all of the fresh ingredients from our garden (or our neighbors’ garden). The phrase, summer’s best, makes me want to sprint to the nearest farmer’s market and fill a basket with herbs, fruit, veggies, and flowers. Today I’ve planned a casual, but delicious dinner for my family…a build your own bruschetta bar.

The idea of bruschetta is appealing to me not just for its simplicity, but because everyone can have it their way. I can keep things traditional with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella, my husband can work his magic with salmon, Vidalia onion, and pancetta, and my kids…well, they’d like chocolate and marshmallows, please (after they eat their greens, of course).

The only must-have ingredients are a good rustic loaf of bread, a nice olive oil, and some sea salt.

Slice the bread about a quarter inch thick and place it directly on your grill until slightly crunchy, but still soft. While the bread is still hot, rub garlic (optional) and drizzle a generous amount of olive oil.

Now for the fun part…add your toppings!

I hope these pictures inspire you to throw a bruschetta party for your friends. Throw in your favorite soundtrack for an extra special evening, al fresco.

Enjoy!

Please join Jill this Sunday at Noon ET foodies. I’ll see you on Wednesday at 8pm ET for a special episode of In the Kitchen with David—part of QVC’s Christmas in July® finale.

Keep it flavorful!
—David