Cowboy Baked Beans
Cowboy Baked Beans are loaded with bacon, ground beef, and a smoky, sweet barbecue sauce. This is a great dish to add to any cookout or potluck. This recipe uses various beans, but if you can't find them all, substitute them with beans available in your store.
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 can butter beans 15 oz, drained
- 1 can navy beans 15 oz, drained
- 1 can black beans 15 oz, drained
- 1 can kidney beans 15 oz, drained
- 1 can pinto beans 15 oz, drained
- 1 can red beans 15 oz, drained
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp dry ground mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 to 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13 x 9 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Heat a large, deep skillet or stockpot over medium-high heat. Set half of the bacon aside for later. Add the other half of the bacon to the hot skillet and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon, crumble, and set aside. Drain the fat from the skillet. Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook, breaking it up along the way. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes until it is no longer pink.
- Push the ground beef to the edges of the skillet and add the onion. Cook until transparent. Stir in the garlic and the cooked bacon.
- Add the remaining ingredients except the cheddar cheese for serving, along with the barbecue sauce, and stir to combine. Spread the mixture into a 13x9 inch baking pan. Top with the remaining uncooked bacon and bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
Notes
Choose A Flavorful Barbecue Sauce
Use a tangy sauce such as Kansas City-style BBQ sauce. Its balance of sweetness and acidity makes a big difference in the finished beans.Bean Substitutions
If you cannot find every variety, substitute another canned bean. Keep the same total number of 15-ounce cans and drain them before adding.Turkey Substitutions
Ground turkey and turkey bacon can replace the beef and bacon. They render less fat and may brown differently, so watch them as they cook.Cheese For Serving
The shredded cheddar is a serving topping. Add it to individual portions after baking rather than mixing it into the bean mixture.Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 561kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1668mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 28g