The Best Cowboy Calico Beans Food

THE BEST COWBOY-CALICO BEANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Brown beef, bacon and onion in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add beans and remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.
• Pour into two (1 1/2- quart each) buttered baking dishes.
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until beans reach desired thickness (do not stir---a nice chewy, crispy crust will form, which is my favorite part--yum!).
• Alternatively, place in a buttered crock pot and heat on low for about 4 hours, uncover during the last hour of cooking if you like your beans thick.
• Freezes/reheats well.

COWBOY CALICO BEANS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain., Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine the brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar and mustard; add to meat mixture. Stir in the beans. Cover and cook on low until heated through, 4-5 hours.

CALICO BEANS

Steps:

• 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.

COWBOY BEANS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring the soaked beans, ham hock, bay leaf, garlic, jalapeno, and 5 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 hours or until beans are tender. If the beans absorb too much water, add 1 cup of water after 1 hour and continue cooking (Beans mixture should remain soupy while cooking). Turn off the heat.
• Cook the bacon in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until almost crisp, about 10 minutes. Add onion and cook for about 3 minutes or until translucent. Transfer bacon and onion mixture to the pot with the beans. Wipe pan clean. In same pan cook chorizo over medium heat until crisp, about 1 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo and drain on paper towels. Add to the beans. Season lightly with salt, if necessary. Stir the beans over medium-high heat until heated through. Remove the bay leaf and ham hock and discard. Ladle into bowls and serve.
• Cook's Note: In place of soaking the beans, you can use 3 (15-ounce) cans rinsed and drained pinto beans. Proceed as above but reduce the cooking time to 1 hour.

COWBOY CALICO BEANS

Steps:

• In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and set on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Drain the bacon fat from the pot, leaving about 1 tablespoon.
• Add the ground beef, onion, garlic powder, and a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, breaking apart the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is cooked through. Drain the fat from the pot and return the ground beef mixture. Stir in the ketchup through molasses.
• Add the beans to the pot, including the liquid from 1 can and draining the rest. Stir carefully. Let the mixture heat through, stirring often (carefully so as to not mush up too many beans). Crumble the bacon and return it to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust the other sauce ingredients as needed, too.
• Serve immediately, or transfer to a slow cooker on low to keep warm until serving. You can also prepare a day ahead of time and then warm them up and place in a slow cooker on low or warm until serving.
• If you find your beans are too dry, add a little water as needed.

BEST CALICO BEANS EVER

Steps:

• Chop and thoroughly cook bacon. Drain.
• Brown hamburger and onion together. Drain.
• Combine all ingredients in crock pot.
• Cook on high for 1 hour or on low for as long as you wish.