Most corn and black bean dishes are served cold, as a type of salad. This one is served hot, and is the perfect side to any Mexican dish.

What you need:
1 (15.5 ounce) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5 ounce) can of corn
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil

How to make it:
1. Add the oil to a heavy skillet, and cook the red pepper and onion over medium heat until soft.

2. Add in the beans, corn, and spices, stirring well.

3. Reduce the heat to low, and cook until heated through.

Serve!

This is, without a doubt, the best baked beans recipe I have. Now, you can actually slow-cook navy beans and make your own barbecue sauce, but this version takes a shortcut. I know, I know... I hate shortcuts. But I think I can let it slide just this once, because these beans are TO DIE FOR.

What you need:
8 slices of bacon, cut in half
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 of a green pepper, diced
3 (28 ounce) cans of pork and beans
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

How to make it:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Fry the bacon in a large skillet over low to medium heat until is about half-way cooked. Remove it from the pan, and let it drain on paper towels. For the love of Mama Dixie (there's a Southern-ism for ya), KEEP THE GREASE that has been left in the pan.

3. Saute the peppers and onion in the bacon grease until tender.

4. Pour in the beans, and bring to a simmer. Stir really well.

5. Pour the bean mixture into a 13 by 9 inch baking dish.

6. Top the beans with the bacon slices, and bake until the sauce has a syrup-like consistency. This should take roughly 2 hours.

7. Remove from the oven and let stand about 20 minutes so the sauce can thicken.

SERVE! 

***Note: If you cook bacon at a high heat, it won't release as much fat. If you cook it over low to medium heat, it will release much more fat to use for sauteing other things. 

No hot dog is complete without a huge scoop of chili. Hot dog chili is a bit different than the traditional type that is eaten from a bowl with a hunk of cornbread. The consistency of this chili is entirely up to you. If you want it chunky, don't break the meat up as much. If you want it a little more 'pourable', really smash the meat up and add a bit more broth.

This is awesome on hotdogs, but is a terrific topper for hamburgers too.

What you need:
1 pound ground beef
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup ketchup
3/4 cup unsalted tomato sauce

How to make it:
1. Cook the ground beef in a skillet until no longer pink, breaking it up into small pieces.

2. Drain the meat, and then return it to the pan. Pour in 1/3 cup of the beef broth.

3. Mix together all of the spices, and sprinkle them over the meat. Stir it all together.

4. Stir in the ketchup and tomato sauce.

5. Stir in half of the remaining broth, and bring to a boil.

6. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, adding a bit more broth if needed.

7. Add in a bit more of each seasoning if you like. I like my food REALLY seasoned, so I may use double the amount I have listed, but you can adjust it to suit your taste.

Serve!