Calico beans (aka cowboy beans or trucker beans) get their name from the variety of bean colors in the dish. Here we use a trio of canned beans: white navy beans, deep red kidney beans and light brown pork and beans. They’re baked with bacon and ground beef in a tangy-sweet sauce until bubbling, resulting in the perfect summer side dish to accompany grilled meats. Calico beans are also great on their own as a main course, topped with shredded cheese and hot sauce.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 2 quarts (10 servings as a side) |
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon (about 6 ounces), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20
- One 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- One 15-ounce can navy beans, rinsed and drained
- One 11-ounce can pork and beans
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
- Put the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the skillet. Add the onion and ground beef and cook, breaking up the beef, until the onion is softened and the beef is crumbled and fully cooked, about 5 minutes. If necessary, drain any excess moisture released from the meat. Add the cooked bacon, kidney beans, navy beans, pork and beans, ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, vinegar and salt. Stir together and then transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Bake until bubbling and caramelized on top, 35 to 40 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 403 |
| Total Fat | 20 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Protein | 24 g |
| Cholesterol | 67 mg |
| Sodium | 710 mg |