Confederate Bean Soup...A Paula Deen Recipe

I'm trying to use up some of the food items that I've had sitting in the back of the pantry and at the bottom of the freezer. You know the stuff, a can of smoked sardines, or maybe a package of chicken livers that you keep sidestepping every time you open the door. In my case, it was a can of Bush's baked beans. It wasn't that I didn't want to eat it, the can had fallen on the floor and rolled behind a large pack of paper towels and I just found it. The other item was a package of smoked sausage that had been in the freezer so long that it was completely covered in ice. I could make beanie weenies; haven't had that in years. When we went and saw Paula Deen a few weeks back, I purchased one of her cookbooks which features recipes from The Lady & Sons restaurant. I had glanced through it quickly upon purchase looking to see if the mac & cheese recipe was included (it was) and would prepare it at a later date. Today, as I was pondering what to do with the beans and sausage, I thought it might be a good idea to see if my new cookbook had a recipe for that combo, and, it turns out, it did. The following is a recipe for Confederate Bean Soup: This a great soup to make when you have leftover baked beans. If you don't have leftovers, you can substitute Bush's baked beans. (I had that and I also added a can of Bush's hot chili beans.) 1/2 pound of smoked sausage, slice in 1/4 in slices (I used a whole pound) 2 slices bacon, diced (I used ham lunchmeat) 1 clove garlic, minced 1 medium onion, diced (I omitted the onions, because I'm allergic to them) 1/2 green bell pepper, diced (optional) (I didn't choose this option) 2 tablespoons butter 2 cups Bush's baked beans or leftovers 1 1/2 cups half-n-half (I used 2 cups) Saute sausage, bacon, onions, garlic and peppers in butter until bacon is cooked. Add beans and simmer for a few minutes over medium to low heat. Add half-n-half. Increase or decrease h-n-h for preferred thickness. Serve with hot corn bread. Serves three or four. I added some black pepper to taste and about a 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. I was very surprised at how well this soup turned out. I served mine with a bit more cheese, a few saltines and dropped the cornbread on top. I made enough so that I would have leftovers. The problem is that I forgot I was out of Beano, so I'm sure they'll hear me all the way down in Savannah, at least for a few days!