The Best BBQ Beans!
I never loved any baked bean or calico bean recipes that I have come across and I was always bummed because I really wanted to like them. They are a potluck staple Right!? Everyone always tried to get me to like their recipe; but no such luck. I was forced to try these... I WAS HOOKED... and so was my husband! Looks like a lot of ingredients but it's super easy; dump, mix, bake!!
I never loved any baked bean or calico bean recipes that I have come across and I was always bummed because I really wanted to like them. They are a potluck staple Right!? Everyone always tried to get me to like their recipe; but no such luck. I was forced to try these... I WAS HOOKED... and so was my husband! Looks like a lot of ingredients but it's super easy; dump, mix, bake!!
- 1 tbsp. garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3/4 c. brown sugar
- 1/3 c. horseradish mustard
- 2 or 3 tsp. liquid smoke (please don't leave out!)
- 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt and pepper blend
- 2 c. bbq sauce
- 1 onion minced
- 2 to 4 each jalapeno minced (depends on your heat level)
- 1/2 pound bacon diced
- 1 pound ring bologna or polish sausage cut in half then sliced
- 1 15 oz. can black beans rinsed and drained
- 2 15.5 oz. cans baked beans (bushes original)
- 1 15 oz. can kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz. can white beans rinsed and drained
- Carbohydrate 61.192372573059 g
- Cholesterol 39.3113387333333 mg
- Fat 20.3426505331017 g
- Fiber 10.4769267693485 g
- Protein 17.6649054700461 g
- Saturated Fat 6.91393251988502 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (262g)
- Sodium 1288.96888208146 mg
- Sugar 50.7154458037105 g
- Trans Fat 1.68396226420968 g
- Calories 500 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large mixing bowl; whisk together the garlic, brown sugar, mustard, liquid smoke, salt & pepper blend, BBQ sauce, onion, jalapeno, and bell pepper.
- Pan fry the ring bologna just to slightly crisp up and render some of the grease out. Drain on toweling and then add to the sauce bowl. Cook bacon until crisp; crumble and set aside.
- Pour black, kidney, and white beans in a colander and rinse well; let drain and then dump into a foil turkey roasting pan or lasagna pan. Pour baked beans with sauce into roasting pan and then top with the sauce mixture and reserved bacon; stir gently to mix.
- Bake at 350 to 400 degrees for about an hour. You can also place on a grill over med/low heat and grill for about an hour. Mix beans half way through cooking time no matter which way you cook them to prevent any burning. Let beans sit for 15 minutes after done cooking; this is the hardest part of the recipe; but well worth the wait!! Enjoy!!
- Or you can dump everything in a crock pot or nesco and cook on low 4 to 6 hours; or high 3 to 4 hours.
Baked beans rely heavily on canned pulses to build bulk without inflating grocery bills, turning inexpensive pantry staples into a heavy-hitting side dish. Rinsing canned black, kidney, and white beans thoroughly removes the canning liquid, which often carries a metallic taste and excess sodium that can muddy the barbecue sauce.
Pairing for Balance
Heavy, sweet, and protein-packed dishes require sharp, acid-driven accompaniments to cut through the richness of the bacon and ring bologna. Coleslaw dressed strictly in apple cider vinegar—minus heavy mayonnaise—provides the necessary crisp bite. Alternatively, raw sliced radishes or quick-pickled red onions offer a sharp contrast to the dense, sugary profile of the beans.
Cooking Flexibility
Baking this mixture at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for precisely sixty minutes allows the sugars in the barbecue sauce and brown sugar to caramelize around the edges without burning the legumes. Stirring the pan halfway through the cooking time redistributes the rendered fat from the meats, ensuring even heat penetration. Standard lasagna pans or foil turkey roasters work well if a dedicated deep-dish baking vessel is unavailable, while a slow cooker set to low for four to six hours serves as an effective hands-off alternative.
