Easy Baked Calico Beans with Beef and Bacon
Slightly spicy, sweet and saucy, this almost homemade baked bean recipe is perfect as a quick main dish with hamburger and bacon. But it serves as a splendid side to basic burgers, dogs and BBQ! Amp up the spice as you see fit!
- Prep Time: 15-20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 Minutes
- Total Time: About 1 Hour
- Yield: About 12 Servings 1x
Ingredients
1 pound bacon (preferably thick cut, cut into lardons)
1/2 c. onion, finely diced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes*
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 can (15 oz.) Cannellini, butter, or lima beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans (light or dark), drained and rinsed
2 cans (30 oz.) pork-n-beans, straight out of can (“Van Camps is what I used.)
3/4 c. ketchup
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1/2 c. brown sugar, not packed
Salt (Table, kosher or sea), to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set a 9-13-inch baking pan aside.
In a large frying pan over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined dish, reserving about 1 T. bacon grease in pan. Add onion, red pepper flakes, garlic powder and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent and soft. Remove to the same dish with the bacon. Add ground beef to the frying pan. Cook until browned and no pink remains. Drain fat and set aside.
In a large bowl combine all beans with ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and salt. Stir well. Add in bacon, onion, and ground beef. Stir again until well-combined. Pour into 9×13-inch baking diish. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.**
Notes
*Adjust the amount of heat your palette desires. 1/2 to 1 tsp. is appropriate to this dish, but feel free to use chipotle or chili powder as well.
**If necessary, prep dish until the point of baking. Dish can be put into refrigerator until ready to bake. Be sure to allow dish to come to room temperature before putting into preheated oven.
Find it online: https://gloveboxeats.com/?p=9905