Thursday, November 11, 2010

Calico Beans



Since going back to work I'm learning to use my crockpot more and last week I cooked my dry beans in it to freeze for later. I also made this recipe that I got from Organized Everyday and it was a big hit with the whole family. I know there are lots of different ways to make this dish but I've never tried any of them before and since a fellow blogger recommended it, I thought I would give it a try. This recipe makes lots and lots so I usually make the whole batch and freeze the rest for another time, which will really come in handy to have when I need to focus on holiday meals in the next few weeks. My notes or variations on the recipe are in italics.

Calico Beans

1 pound of lean ground beef, (I had some already cooked in the freezer)
1 large onion, diced, brown these together and drain
1 dried bag of 15 bean mix: cook in pressure cooker until done
OR you can buy canned beans: 2 cans of kidney beans and 2 cans of garbanzo beans (or store them cooked and frozen in the freezer)

In the crockpot add:

Beef, onions, and beans plus
2 cans of baked beans (any brand)
1 cup of real bacon bits or fry your own (6 slices) (I fried the bacon and onion together)

1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. of brown sugar
1 T. vinegar
1 t. of prepared mustard
1 t. salt

Mix it all and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours
OR in the oven 350 degrees for 1 hour

If you choose to fry your own bacon, cooking it with the onions saves time..

If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can still cook your own dried beans in the crockpot, but you have to plan for this a day in advance. (I cooked the beans ahead of time and stored them in the freezer until I put them in the crockpot.)
This is really good with cornbread :)

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Darcy, this looks fantastic! I love slow cooker recipes! Thank you for sharing with Friday Potluck!

Anonymous said...

Wow, this does sound like it would make enough to feed a small army! Since going back to work myself a few months ago, I find myself using my crockpot a lot more, so I'm always on the lookout for new recipes. This sounds great :)

cheerful said...

looks yummy...sounds so healthy too! happy weekend! :)