Years ago, a friend brought this crock pot calico beans to my mom after we moved. Our family fell in love with it immediately and has made it regularly ever since. If you’re looking for a quick and easy meal, the sweet flavors in this bean mix will be a hit for all!
It’s kind of like a sweet twist on chili. In fact, I often like to serve it with cornbread or cornbread muffins, just like I do with chili.
Calico Beans is also a perfect potluck dish, that can feed a crowd on a budget! Make it in the summertime to feed your family a hearty meal without even turning on the hot stove.
Ingredients
- 8 oz cooked bacon, chopped
- 1 to 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1 (15 ounce) can pork and beans
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can butter beans (or black beans)
- 1 (15 ounce) can green beans (or 1 cup frozen)
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup diced green or red peppers
- 1 Tablespoon vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon mustard powder
Instructions
- Throw everything into the crock pot.
- Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
- Serve with cornbread or cornbread muffins.
What I love about this recipe is that you can mix and match whatever ingredients you have on hand or to your preference! You can also switch up the beans or take out the ground beef, based on your preference. So many options!
Great news!!! Until Monday, you can get your hands on ready-made meal plans with a focus on quick & simple, but delicious, healthy meals – complete with shopping lists and fresh recipes – for a ridiculously low price.
It’s called the Healthy Meal Planning Bundle 2019 and here’s a taste of what it includes:
- A carefully-curated library of simple, nutritious, whole food recipes, beautifully formatted in 12 digital cookbooks.
- An easy-to-use index for every single recipe, to help you sort by food allergy, eating style, quick meals, cooking method, and more.
- 30+ unique made-for-you meals plans complete with grocery lists and prep reminders (4-week dinner plans, school & work lunch plans, breakfast rotations, party plans, and more!)
- Meal planning printables for those who love paper & pen and creating their own custom plans.
- Plus healthy eating resources on clean eating, a flavor crash course (so your food tastes ah-ma-zing!), strategies for helping kids with pickiness, allergies or oral SPD, and more!
I have a copy that I’ve been using this week and I absolutely love it! Get yours here.Meal planning really shouldn’t be stressful, but a helpful tool to keep your time free for the things you want to do!
