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Weather: 14 degrees, very light wisps of snow
What I’m listening to: Jars of Clay
I’ve saved this recipe for ten years. It takes me back to a sunny Easter Sunday lunch surrounded by friends and church family on a green hillside in California. I remember kids running around, games of horseshoes, and these amazing baked beans. I immediately requested the recipe and the I’ve never met a pot of beans since that I liked better than these.
You’ll be excited to hear that this dish can be made on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the crockpot. It makes a nice big batch for a crowd and is easily doubled. It’s rustic and satisfying with big butter beans mixed with smoky bacon, hearty ground beef, and rich molasses. I hope you’ll make your own memories with this recipe.
Ingredients
- 3/4lb bacon, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3/4lb ground beef
- 3 (16oz) cans kidney beans, drained
- 2 (16oz) cans butter beans, drained
- 1/3c dark brown sugar
- 1/4c ketchup
- 1/4c barbecue sauce
- 2T dijon mustard
- 2T molasses
- 1/2t chili powder
- 1t salt
- 1/2t pepper
- 1c water
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon first, until browned and crisp. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon onto paper towels to drain. Add onions to the bacon grease and cook until opaque and golden, about 4 minutes. Remove to drain on paper towels with a slotted spoon. Then add beef to the pot and brown. Drain in a colander.
- Return bacon, onions and beef to the pot over medium heat. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and stir to combine.
Notes
Note: if your barbecue sauce is on the sweet side, you may want to cut the brown sugar down to 1/4c. I used a moderately spicy barbecue sauce and it was perfect.
Serving suggestion: I served mine with grilled tri-tip and a green salad with Buttermilk Dressing.
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