Calico Beans
A variety of canned beans and ground beef come together to create these classic Calico Beans. These smoky, flavorful beans are perfect for summer gatherings!
Servings: 12 to 14 servings
Calories: 369kcal
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
- 28 ounces pork and beans drained
- 28 ounces pork and beans with liquid (don't drain)
- 30 ounces kidney beans (2 15-ounce cans) drained
- 15 ounces pinto, lima, white, or black beans drained
- 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce
- ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
- ½ teaspoon salt plus additional to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus additional to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the strips of bacon in a Dutch oven. Place over MEDIUM-HIGH heat and cook until crisped, flipping halfway through. Transfer the cooked bacon to paper towels to drain. When cool enough, break it into small pieces and set it aside.
- Drain all but a scant amount of the bacon grease from the pot and return it to the heat. Place the ground beef and onion in the Dutch oven and cook, stirring to break up the beef until it is cooked through and the onion is tender. Drain the grease from the pot and return it to the heat.
- Add the drained pork and beans, pork and beans with liquid, kidney beans, and pinto or other beans. Stir in the BBQ sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, liquid smoke, salt, pepper, and crumbled bacon.
- Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
- Transfer any leftovers to a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Slow Cooker Method
Prepare the beans on the stove, as directed, but instead of baking them, transfer them to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Cook them on low for 3 hours at the most, stirring about halfway through the cooking time. Remember, canned beans are already cooked so you want to avoid cooking them longer than 3 hours in a slow cooker or the texture can become mushy and undesirable.
Storage
Refrigerator - Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate promptly. Use leftover Calico Beans within 3 to 4 days for the best quality. For longer storage, see the freezer instructions below.
Freezer - Transfer the cooked and cooled beans to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow frozen beans to thaw safely in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 1192mg | Potassium: 816mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 73IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 4mg