School Lunch # 1

Sister Itisberger's Franks and Beans

Who among us never ate school food? You'd smell it in the hallway, growing stronger as you neared whatever room served as the cafeteria. The shredded chicken in cornstarch gravy over instant mash, the mystery meats, gloppy mac and cheese, dry pizza. Though most of it was truly nasty, some things were classics. Here and there, I'll post the recipes I've recreated with a slight improvement; these are edible.

Sister Itisberger was the school lunch lady of St. Francis. I'm sure she never made this recipe and I didn't get it from school archives, but it sure tastes a lot like what she served and so this one's for her, Lunch Lady par excellence. Simple and yummy for a cold winter's night, franks and beans are still one of my guilty pleasures. Warning; this feeds several people, so cut down proportionately.

3 cans Heinz Vegetarian Beans
1# Nathan's cocktail franks
1/2 c. grade 2 or 3 maple syrup
3 Tblsp. Heinz ketchup

In a non-reactive saucepot, combine everything and stir well. Cover and let sit to marry flavors for an hour. Heat on medium, stirring occasionally until everything is steamy hot but not fully boiling. Serve with white bread and butter or rolls.

Dessert suggestion: cold milk and Oreo cookies