Cowboy Calico Beans
These are the BEST! I've been making this recipe for over 20 years now, and it's always a HIT with my family and friends! Great for BBQs, potlucks, camping etc. Can be made in the oven or in the crockpot, and it freezes and reheats well.
These are the BEST! I've been making this recipe for over 20 years now, and it's always a HIT with my family and friends! Great for BBQs, potlucks, camping etc. Can be made in the oven or in the crockpot, and it freezes and reheats well.
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 4 slices bacon diced
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1/2 pound ground beef ( round or sirloin)
- 2 (16 ounce) cans pork and beans undrained
- 1 (16 ounce) cans butter beans rinsed and drained
- 1 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup catsup
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce ( i use hunt's original or hickory)
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard ( coleman's)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper ( do not add any salt)
- 1/2 -1 teaspoon chili powder to taste
- Carbohydrate 21.2807308459961 g
- Cholesterol 19.1984504833333 mg
- Fat 7.24312897920087 g
- Fiber 0.258683336598225 g
- Protein 4.90315839936521 g
- Saturated Fat 2.52251251767804 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (63g)
- Sodium 157.781123564493 mg
- Sugar 21.0220475093978 g
- Trans Fat 0.889679507668742 g
- Calories 168 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Brown beef, bacon and onion in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add beans and remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.
- Pour into two (1 1/2- quart each) buttered baking dishes.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until beans reach desired thickness (do not stir---a nice chewy, crispy crust will form, which is my favorite part--yum!).
- Alternatively, place in a buttered crock pot and heat on low for about 4 hours, uncover during the last hour of cooking if you like your beans thick.
- Freezes/reheats well.
Beyond the Can
The ingredient list hides the chemical interaction occurring between the molasses, white sugar, and pork and beans as heat breaks down their starches. Ground beef and diced bacon render rendered animal fats that coat the legume skins, preventing them from bursting prematurely during the initial 45-minute bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Because black pepper is present without added salt, moisture draws out cleanly from the onions without prematurely toughening the ground sirloin.
The Second Day Advantage
Resting allows the starches in the butter beans and kidney beans to retrograde, firming their interiors while fully absorbing the brown sugar and dry mustard syrup. Reheating this dish gently on the stovetop or in a 325-degree oven marries the residual barbecue sauce and catsup into a cohesive lacquer that tastes sharper than it did fresh. Stored in an airtight container, the mixture holds its structural integrity in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Proportional Adjustments
Halving this recipe requires shifting from two 1 1/2-quart baking dishes down to a single 2-quart vessel to maintain proper surface-area exposure for evaporation. Monitor the liquid reduction closely when scaling down, as smaller volumes lose moisture faster and risk burning the sugars before the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
