OK, I'll start with an admission...I like original flavor Bush's Baked Beans . As a result, I don't make this "from scratch" recipe very often. But it is good and a classic. But I won't give you a hard time if you just open a can of Bush's. Really. I buy it by the case from Sam's Club. Update: I just tasted the latest batch of my beans, having canned them, and I won't be buying Bush's any more. These are definitely better, and by canning them, I remove Bush's convenience factor.
The original recipe calls for 1/2 pound each of navy, lima and kidney beans. Any dried beans will do, although I would stay away from peas and lentils as they might be too soft. But it's your experiment.
Soak beans in water to cover plus a couple of inches or so, overnight. If you don't have that long, bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat and let sit for an hour.
Drain the water and then cover again with water, bring to a boil and drop the heat and simmer until tender (not mushy)...about an hour, but start checking them at a half hour. Make sure you have a big enough pot here, as the beans will foam and the foam will get all over the stove if you aren't watching (it just happened to me while writing this up). Skim off the foam as it shows up. When the beans are tender, drain.
Mix all the other ingredients together and add to the beans mixing well. Put in a crock pot on low for the day, or in a covered dutch oven in a low oven. Cook until sauce is thick.