Ah yes, winter. Time for comfort food. My grandmother used to make this simple, hearty dish to warm us up after being out in the cold:

40 ounce can butter beans/dried limas, rinsed

1 pound tube mild sausage, formed into bitesize patties

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup ketchup

preheat oven to 400

place sausage bites into skillet with enough water to cover completely, cover pan and bring to boil

add onion to pan, cook sausage and onion until water evaporates and sausage starts to brown

drain fat and place sausage and onion in baking dish with rinsed beans, add ketchup and brown sugar and mix all ingredients together

bake at 400 for about 30 minutes

enjoy

You lost me at beans. However if you want bean free, heart-stopping sausage treats...sausage balls are the awesome.

1 pound Jimmy Dean's mild sausage, thawed

16oz package cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups baking mix

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl; stir well. Form into 1" balls. Place sausage cheese balls on ungreased baking sheet; bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove sausage cheese balls from oven; cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. Serve with cocktail forks or toothpicks.

We make these usually on New Year's Eve. They are sooooooooooooooooooooooooo good.

Beans?

I love beans. They're versatile, inexpensive, and tasty. I don't have a proper kitchen right now, but during the fall, I would make a simple chili from leftovers and whatever is in the pantry.

Dodgefan, beans are good for your heart, ya know. Your sausage bites recipe sounds mighty good, too. I wonder if those little meaty, cheesy balls could be deep fried with any success? Although baking them sounds yum. Either way, I wouldn't mind popping them into my mouth.