Introducing my very own unique Christmastime dish: AJ's Fantastic Christmas Buck 'n Beans! First made as my contribution to Christmas Eve dinner at my grandmother's house in 2018, attempted again and failed due to rushing it and experimenting too much in 2019, and then seeing a triumphant return as part of Christmas 2020 and 2021's dinners at home, this is a dish I now look forward to making every year. It's a very simple one ingredient-wise, requiring only venison sausages, baked beans and an onion, and it's sure to be a hit with anyone who loves themselves some beans and game meat. Best of all, it's very healthy and supports local farmers--beans are a great source of protein, after all, and the venison I buy for this dish is made from grass-fed deer raised with excellent care on a farm in my own hometown! If you're able to get your hands on all the things needed for this dish, then I definitely recommend trying your hand at making it yourself! And here's how...

Ingredients:
- 2-3 honey garlic venison sausages
- 3 cans of Bush's Best baked beans (I like to use 1 maple, 1 honey and 1 brown sugar hickory)
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2 tbsp of butter
- Red wine vinegar

Recipe:
1. Allow the sausages to thaw from frozen until just slightly firm
2. Peel the onion, chop about half of it into small pieces and set it aside.
3. Remove the thawed sausages' casings and cut each sausage into 10-12 chunks
4. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Add the sausage pieces and chopped onion to the skillet.
6. Fry the sausage and onion together, using a spatula to stir regularly, placing a lid over the skillet anytime you're not doing so.
7. Drizzle about 3 capfuls of red wine vinegar over the sausage and onion while frying them, adding more if needed to coat everything.
8. Once the sausage is thoroughly cooked and the onion has started to brown, usually about 8 minutes or so, turn the heat off and let the skillet sit, allowing the sausage and onion to simmer over the residual heat.
9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
10. Pour 1 can of beans evenly into a decently deep casserole dish, layer on some sausage and onion, the next can of beans, more sausage and onion, and the third can, then mix it all together.
11. Cover the dish in foil and heat it in the oven for at least 1 hour.
12. Take the dish out of the oven, partially uncover it and let it stand for about 1 hour more before covering it back up and storing it in the fridge for up to 24 hours in advance.
13. Reheat the dish for about 20 minutes in the preheated oven at 300 degrees F (or 6 minutes in the microwave if you need it done quicker) when dinnertime is near, stirring it halfway through. If you use the microwave, remember to remove the foil!
14. Serve it up to your holiday guests alongside everything else, or let them serve themselves--either way, just be sure everyone gets to taste every part of the dish!
And that's how you make my personal Christmas specialty, AJ's Fantastic Christmas Buck 'n Beans! And yeah, I know this is being posted a bit late for you to make it for Christmas yourself this year, but hey, there's no rule saying you can't have it on New Year's Eve instead (remember my philosophy, all of December can be considered Christmastime), or you could just keep this recipe saved for next year! Have a wonderful and safe holiday, and enjoy as much good food as you can! Merry Christmas! ^o^