Calico Beans
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Posted: 06/14/21
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The ultimate backyard barbecue side dish is Crock Pot Calico Beans! A variety of beans with bacon and ground beef in a delicious sauce that’s slow cooked. This easy recipe is great for potlucks, parties and easy meals too!
I have the best side dish for all your summer events – calico beans! This dish is like amped-up baked beans with three kinds of beans, beef, bacon, and an amazing sauce. It’s the best side for potlucks, BBQs, and summer dinners!
My family loves this recipe! The combination of the sweet and tangy sauce with the savory beef is so good. It’s definitely a great way to switch up your side dishes.
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Easy Crock Pot Side Dish!
- Like my crockpot beans, I like to make calico beans in the crockpot – it’s a really easy way to make them without having to turn on the oven when it’s hot.
- This is a really hearty side dish that serves a crowd! Sometimes they’re called cowboy beans, too, because they’re savory, filling, and delicious.
- They go with all of your favorite summer main dishes like steak, chicken, and pork. Or pair them with hamburgers and hot dogs!
Give this one a try, and it might just be your new favorite summer side dish. Everyone loves when I make these easy slow cooker beans!
Ingredients
- Bacon – I love making this in my oven or grabbing the microwavable bacon and making it that way for less mess!
- Ground beef – I recommend using 85% lean.
- Chopped yellow onion – A great shortcut is to buy the diced frozen onion in the bags in your freezer aisle!
- Light brown sugar – Be sure to pack it in the measuring cup.
- Dry mustard
- Beans – A mixture of canned lima, butter, pork and beans, and kidney beans.
- Ketchup
- White vinegar – You can also use apple cider vinegar if that’s what you have on hand!
- Salt and pepper taste
For the beans, the ones listed are my favorites for this dish but you can your favorite kinds of beans! Black beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans, great northern… there are a lot of combinations you can try!
Products Needed
How to Make It
Fry: Cook the bacon in a large skillet until it’s crispy. Drain it on paper towels and discard all but teaspoons of the bacon fat in the pan.
Brown: In the same skillet, brown the ground beef in the reserved bacon fat. Add the onion and once the beef is cooked through, drain off the grease and transfer the beef and onions to the crock pot.
Combine: Add all of the other ingredients to the crock pot with the beef and onions.
Slow Cook: Cook on low for three to four hours! To serve, you can transfer them to a serving bowl or keep them warm in the crock pot and everyone can help themselves.
FAQs
Why are they called calico beans?
They get the name from the variety of colors from the beans. They’re also sometimes called cowboy beans!
Can you make them ahead?
You have two options for making them ahead.
One way is to cook the beef and onion and combine them with the rest of the ingredients. Instead of slow cooking them, store the mixture in a container and keep it in the refrigerator. Then just pop it in the crock pot when you’re ready to cook it.
You can also do all the steps and then let the dish cool and store it in the fridge and warm them up later. Either way works!
How long do leftovers keep?
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days.
Can you bake them in the oven instead?
Yes, you can place all of the ingredients in a baking dish and bake for about an hour at 350°F.
You don’t have to wait until a potluck to try this dish – it’s easy enough for weeknight family meals, too! Add the ingredients to your shopping list and give it a try this week!
More Summer Side Dish Recipes
- No one can resist Corn on the Cob slathered with butter!
- Every potluck or BBQ needs some Homemade Potato Salad and my recipe is always a crowd-pleaser.
- Watermelon Salad is a fresh and light side dish that goes with all of your favorite grilled dishes.
- Who loves pasta salad? Make my creamy Macaroni Salad and it will be the star of the meal.
Did you love this recipe? I’d love to hear from you, so be sure to leave your comment and five-star rating! It will make my day!
Be sure and tag me on Instagram @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats – I can’t wait to see your pics!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!
Calico Beans
Cooked in the crock pot this mixture of beans with bacon and ground beef in a delicious sauce is the perfect side dish for summer!
Ingredients
- 8 oz bacon
- 1 lb ground beef recommend 85%
- 1 c. chopped yellow onion
- ½ c. light brown sugar packed
- 1 Tbsp dry mustard
- 2 cans pork and beans 15 oz each
- 15 oz lima beans drained
- 15 oz butter beans drained
- 16 oz kidney beans drained
- ½ c. ketchup
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, fry bacon until crisp, remove bacon to paper towels and let drain. Leave about 2 tsp of bacon drippings in the skillet, discard the remaining drippings.
- Heat skillet with drippings over medium heat and add the ground beef and chopped onions. Cook until beef is browned. Drain off grease.
- Transfer ground beef to a crock pot. Add the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot.
- Cook on low for 3-5 hours.
Tips
Can you make them ahead?
You have two options for making them ahead. One way is to cook the beef and onion and combine them with the rest of the ingredients. Instead of slow cooking them, store the mixture in a container and keep it in the refrigerator. Then just pop it in the crock pot when you’re ready to cook it. You can also do all the steps and then let the dish cool and store it in the fridge and warm them up later. Either way works! How long do leftovers keep?
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days. Can you bake them in the oven instead?
Yes, you can place all of the ingredients in a baking dish and bake for about an hour at 350°F.
You have two options for making them ahead. One way is to cook the beef and onion and combine them with the rest of the ingredients. Instead of slow cooking them, store the mixture in a container and keep it in the refrigerator. Then just pop it in the crock pot when you’re ready to cook it. You can also do all the steps and then let the dish cool and store it in the fridge and warm them up later. Either way works! How long do leftovers keep?
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days. Can you bake them in the oven instead?
Yes, you can place all of the ingredients in a baking dish and bake for about an hour at 350°F.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 489kcal (24%), Carbohydrates: 64g (21%), Protein: 26g (52%), Fat: 16g (25%), Saturated Fat: 6g (38%), Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 47mg (16%), Sodium: 792mg (34%), Potassium: 1147mg (33%), Fiber: 15g (63%), Sugar: 15g (17%), Vitamin A: 58IU (1%), Vitamin C: 5mg (6%), Calcium: 115mg (12%), Iron: 6mg (33%)
Deborah says
Found this recipe many years ago in a True Story magazine. My husband makes it & is regularly requested by friends & family. It’s so yummy 😋
Courtney says
So awesome to hear! Thank you for letting us know you enjoyed this recipe and for rating this recipe! 🙂
Malinda says
I love this classic recipe! Wherever I take it everyone always raves about it!
Danielle says
These were fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
Alison LaFortune says
The perfect side dish for BBQ! I was able to prep this in advance and serve it up to rave reviews. So yummy.
Donna says
I have been making these beans for maybe the past 20 years, and they are fantastic! Every time I take them to a picnic, they get rave reviews, and people ask for the recipe.
Julie Evink says
It’s a classic that we make over and over again too!