Slow-Cooker Cowboy Calico Beans

by BudgetBites
Prep: 30m
Cook: 4h
beef
Slow-Cooker Cowboy Calico Beans - Image

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Ingredients
Servings:8
1lbground beef
1sweet onion
1/2cupbrown sugar
1/4cupketchup
3tbspcider vinegar
2tbspyellow mustard
16ozbutter beans
16ozkidney beans
15ozpork and beans
15 1/4ozlima beans
Nutrition Facts

Per serving

Calculating nutrition...

Instructions
  1. 1

    Brown the beef

    In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and chopped onion over medium heat until the beef is no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Drain off the excess fat.

  1. 2

    Build the sauce and load the slow cooker

    Transfer the beef and onion to a 3-quart slow cooker. Whisk together the brown sugar, ketchup, cider vinegar, and mustard, then pour it over the meat. Drain the butter beans and kidney beans and lima beans, then stir all four cans of beans into the pot along with the pork and beans (no need to drain that one).

  2. 3

    Slow cook

    Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, until everything is hot and bubbling and the flavors have melded.

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Slow-Cooker Cowboy Calico Beans

Created by: BudgetBites

Prep Time: 30m
Cook Time: 4h
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 sweet onion
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 3 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 16 oz butter beans
  • 16 oz kidney beans
  • 15 oz pork and beans
  • 15 1/4 oz lima beans

Instructions

  1. Brown the beefIn a large skillet, cook the ground beef and chopped onion over medium heat until the beef is no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Drain off the excess fat.
  2. Build the sauce and load the slow cookerTransfer the beef and onion to a 3-quart slow cooker. Whisk together the brown sugar, ketchup, cider vinegar, and mustard, then pour it over the meat. Drain the butter beans and kidney beans and lima beans, then stir all four cans of beans into the pot along with the pork and beans (no need to drain that one).
  3. Slow cookCover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, until everything is hot and bubbling and the flavors have melded.

Notes & Tips

One pound of ground beef and four cans of pantry beans turns into eight hearty servings here, which lands around $1.40 a serving. Stretching the meat with beans means you barely notice it's doing less work, and the sweet-tangy sauce (just brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, and mustard) is stuff you probably already have. Great for a potluck or for eating off of all week.