Calico Beans, Using Canned Beans for the Best Flavor and Texture
Calico Beans are the kind of irresistible comfort food that never seems to go out of style. A big baking dish loaded with bacon, colorful beans, and a rich sweet, tangy sauce.
Servings 12
Calories 506kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound Thick sliced bacon cut up into pieces
- 1 large sweet onion chopped
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 15 ounce Kidney Beans canned, drained
- 15 ounce Butter beans canned, drained
- 15 ounce Lima beans canned, drained
- 56 ounce Bush's baked beans 2-28 ounce cans, not drained
Instructions
- Cut bacon into pieces and cook in a large fry pan until fat has rendered and bacon is crispy. Once cooked, remove to a plate and drain most of the grease off.
- Sautee onion in bacon drippings until soft. About 4 - 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, vinegar, mustard powder and garlic powder. Simmer 15 minutes.
- Drain the lima beans, butter beans and kidney beans in a colander.
- Add all of the beans to the sauce and mix. Mix half the bacon into the beans and pour into a Dutch oven. Crumble the rest of the bacon on top.
- Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 50 minutes.
Notes
Tips For Success
- Drain Most, But Not All, of the Beans. I drain the kidney beans, butter beans, and lima beans that are packed in plain liquid. The Bush's Baked Beans stay just as they are. That seasoned sauce belongs in the casserole.
- Brown The Bacon: Make sure all of the fat is rendered from the bacon and the bacon is crispy (but not burnt). If the fat isn't rendered, the bacon will become flabby once it's baked in the casserole.
- Bake Until the Sauce Looks Thick: Forget watching the clock. Look at the sauce instead. When it bubbles slowly around the edges and coats the beans instead of running across the top of the pan, it's ready. And this is the biggest reason for cooking this recipe uncovered.
- Don't Stir: No reason to stir the beans once they're in the oven. Stirring hot cooked canned beans may make them mushy.
- Let It Rest: Give the casserole about ten minutes before serving. The sauce thickens even more, and every spoonful holds together beautifully.
Nutrition
Calories: 506kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 1002mg | Potassium: 1052mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 5mg
