Adjust oven rack to just below the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 F.
Dice onion, bell pepper and jalapenos. If you include the seeds of the jalapenos, beans will have more spice.
Cut bacon into pieces about ½” – 1” long. Stirring enough to make sure the bacon does not burn, fry over medium-high heat in a cast iron skillet or other heavy frying pan until the bacon is about half way cooked. Do not discard bacon fat. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon chunks and pile on paper towels to drain.
Add the diced onion, bell pepper and jalapenos to the bacon grease in the frying pan. Continue to fry over medium-high heat stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes until the veggies have softened.
Meanwhile open the cans of beans and drain up to 1” of liquid off the top of each can. Pour the remainder of the beans and liquid into a large mixing bowl.
Add the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, liquid smoke and black pepper. Add the veggies when they are done.
Gently fold the mixture together with a rubber spatula until it is thoroughly mixed. Pour it into a 9”x13” casserole dish or equivalent pan. Scatter the bacon over the top.
Bake 1-2 hours until the sauce is the thickness of syrup (cooking time is up to your personal taste). After baking let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Hot peppers - it is hard to judge how much jalapeno will make something spicy. Sometimes the peppers are spicier than usual. I find that three peppers with the seeds are not overly hot and most people can enjoy the mild heat. If you want super spicy beans you can dice up hotter peppers and add them.