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Square overhead shot of calico beans in a white dish.
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Calico Beans

A flavorful and easy baked beans recipe that includes ground beef, bacon, and onion in a sweet and savory sauce.
Course Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword calico bean dish, calico bean recipe, calico beans, calico beans recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 10 people
Calories 384kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • ¼ lb. bacon, chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 (15 ounce) can pork and beans, not drained
  • 1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
  • 1 (15.5 ounce) can navy beans, drained
  • 1 (15.25 ounce) can lima beans (or butter beans), drained
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
  • In a large Dutch oven or large skillet, brown the beef, bacon, and onion over medium-high heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off excess grease.
    Browning ground beef, bacon, and onion in a cast iron dutch oven.
  • Add the pork and beans (with their sauce), kidney beans, navy beans, and lima beans.
    Process shot showing how to make grandma's cowboy calico beans recipe in a dutch oven.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and mustard.
    Whisking together sauce for calico beans.
  • Stir the ketchup mixture into the bean mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
    Process shot showing how to make calico beans.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking for about 20 more minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
    Square overhead shot of calico beans in a blue and white bowl with a side of cornbread.

Notes

  • Alternate Slow Cooker Method: Just keep in mind that the Crock Pot beans will have a more "soupy" consistency. First, brown the beef, bacon, and onion on the stovetop as instructed. Transfer the mixture to a Crock Pot, and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1-2 hours or on LOW for 3-4 hours. Remove the lid during the final 30 minutes to allow some of the steam and condensation to escape and the sauce to thicken.
  • If you like more sauce in your calico beans, leave the cover on the dish for the entire 45 minutes.
  • The total cooking time may vary. For really soft, broken-down beans, cook the dish for 40 minutes covered, and then remove the cover for another 20 minutes.
  • For added heat, season the beans with Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning, some hot sauce, or a dash of cayenne.
  • Do not drain off the sauce from the can of pork and beans. The other canned beans should be drained before adding them to the pot.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/10 of the recipe | Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 707mg | Potassium: 815mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 66IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 4mg