This recipe for Crock-Pot Calico beans is a delicious side dish perfect for your next BBQ or cookout. The beans are savory and sweet, without them being too sweet.
Set the cooked bacon aside on paper towels to cool.
Once cooked crumble the bacon and add to the bottom of a 6 quart or larger slow cooker.
Drain off bacon grease from skillet (save it if you like to save your bacon grease!) and add the ground beef to the same skillet and brown and crumble ground beef.
1 Pound Extra Lean Ground Beef
Drain excess fat from meat and add to the slow cooker.
Dump the rest of the ingredients (beans, onion, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and pepper) into the slow cooker and stir to combine.
53 Ounces Canned Pork & Beans, 32 Ounces Canned Butter Beans, 32 Ounces Canned Red Kidney Beans, 1 Medium Yellow Onion, 1 Cup Ketchup, ⅓ Cup Brown Sugar, 1 Tablespoon Ground Mustard, 1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours or on HIGH 4 hours (see note below).
Notes
While you can cook these beans on high for only 4 hours I feel the flavor is better brought out when you cook them on low for the longer cooking time. If your BBQ or cookout is earlier in the day, Go ahead and cook these beans the day before your party, toss them in the fridge and warm them up on the day of your party. They taste just as good (maybe even better) the next day!