Calico beans show up at every church supper and family reunion, and the pan always comes home empty. Pork and beans, kidney beans and butter beans get baked with ground beef, bacon and a brown sugar and ketchup sauce. It’s a side dish hearty enough to be supper.
Tips
- Cook the beef and bacon first. Drain the fat so the beans aren’t greasy.
- Drain the kidney and butter beans but keep the sauce from the pork and beans.
- Slow cooker option: after browning the meat, put everything in the slow cooker and cook on LOW 4 hours.
- Swap in great northern or pinto beans if that’s what’s in the pantry.
Storing
Refrigerate within 2 hours for up to 4 days. Calico beans freeze well for up to 3 months.
Calico Beans
Three beans baked with ground beef and bacon in a sweet and tangy brown sugar sauce.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb bacon chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 can pork and beans 28 oz, undrained
- 1 can kidney beans 15 oz, drained and rinsed
- 1 can butter beans 15 oz, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove it and pour off most of the fat. Cook the ground beef and onion in the skillet until the beef is browned and no pink remains. Drain the fat.
- In a 3-quart baking dish, stir together the beef, bacon, all the beans, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and vinegar.
- Bake uncovered 1 hour, until thick and bubbly. Or cook in a slow cooker on LOW 4 hours.
Notes
Refrigerate within 2 hours, up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
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