Lilley's secret to smoked chicken and beans

[Phil Lilley]

About a dozen times a year, we host some kind of dinner and I put on the chicken and beans. It's so easy and everybody raves about it- thus the reason I fix it so often.

First I used an electric smoker. Get one at Wal Mart, Lowes or Bass Pro- a Brinkman. No settings to mess with- just plug it in and go.

I can fix up to 6 full chickens in one smoker- I have two smokers.

After washing the birds, I pack them in the smoker, load it with soaked hickory or applewood chips and water in the pan. It I get adventurous, I load the pan with mushrooms too. Before I put the chickens on, I cover them with lemon pepper and season salt. First the pepper cause it doesn't stick if I put it on first. I don't spare any part of the bird nor do I spare any spice. They're covered as thick as possible. This insures the spices get cooked into the meat. Time- about 3.25 hours for up to 4 birds, 4 hours for 5-6 birds. You can over dook and dry them out so be careful. The mushrooms come off at the same time.

Beans- I use Bush Baked Beans, usually plain, not with bacon. I put in canned Jalapeños with juice in the mix, about 8 ounes per large can. You can put in more or less depending on your taste. I cook them in a crock pot for 8-10 hours before serving at low temps (150-175 degrees). You can overcook these too if you try to cook them too hot too fast.

There- see not fancy at all. But when I serve it up, people rave about it and think it's something complicated. It's so easy a caveman could do it... if he had a smoker.

[Don]

I crocked some Bush's beans Friday night. It's a fast side order as opposed to the Settler's beans I usually fix.

These had a sweeter flair to them. I use 2 cans, usually original and or onion. I browned 1 to 2 pounds of burger and drained. I then added Country Bob's sauce to the burger back into the pan and stirred. Then I added burger to beans in the crockpot. Times before I've added jalapeno's, onions, or bacon.

Don