COWBOY BAKED BEANS by NancyC

Makes a 9×13″ pan                                                

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15-ounce) can Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (16-ounce) can Butter Beans, rinsed and drained (or you can substitute another can of Pinto Beans)
• 1 (15-ounce) can Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can Pork & Beans
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (use 1/4 cup if you like your beans less sweet)
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons molasses
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 12 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled, or one (3-ounce) package crumbled bacon pieces

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spray a 9×13″ baking dish or pan with cooking spray; set aside.

In large skillet, cook ground beef, chopped onion, and garlic until meat is done and onions are translucent; and drain grease from the mixture.

In a large pot, add the ground beef/onion/garlic mixture, then add all the beans.

In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients except for the bacon bits (brown sugar, ketchup, barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, molasses, yellow mustard, and chili powder). Add this mixture to the pot, mixing everything together. Stir in the crumbled bacon (or you can save the crumbled bacon for sprinkling on top when mixture is in the pan). Simmer for 10 minutes, then pour mixture into your prepared baking dish or pan. Bake for 40 minutes, covering top of pan with foil. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

NOTE: For a meatless version, leave out the ground beef and bacon and add in an extra can of beans.

Recipe from NancyC | nancy-c.com