This hearty Cowboy Beans recipe is amped up baked beans with ground beef, bacon, BBQ sauce, bell pepper, and onions– then baked until thick. It’s a perfect side dish to any meal.

Beans are one of my favorite main or side dishes– from Chili Con Carne, Ranch-Style Beans to Fancy Provençal French Beans. I admit, I love comfort food and beans fit that bill during Grilling Season, and Fall/Winter.

I’ve been following Amanda Rettke’s blogs, I am Homesteader and I am Baker for many years. In fact, I was at the front of the line the day she published her cookbook “Homestead Recipes“. Amanda’s recipes fit right in with my love of comfort food.

The star ingredient are Bush’s Baked Beans (our favorite, by far). Bacon and ground beef will attract any cowboy!

For the veggies, diced onion and bell peppers are perfect. Brown sugar and barbecue sauce adds a little sweetness. Dijon mustard, garlic and onion salt are the seasonings. Start by browning thick bacon slices and set aside. Let’s make the recipe!

Brown the beef, bell pepper and onion. Add the cut-up bacon.

Add the remaining ingredients, and bake for an hour– until thickened and serve.

TASTING NOTES: Unless someone cracks the code on making Bush’s Baked Beans, from scratch, I will continue stocking my pantry with these beans. The ground beef adds a hearty texture to the beans. These are a little sweet, a little savory and so delicious!

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Hearty and Delicious Cowboy Beans

This hearty Cowboy Beans recipe is amped up baked beans with ground beef, bacon, BBQ sauce, bell pepper, and onions– then baked until thick. It's a perfect side dish to any meal.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Side, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cowboy Beans, Hearty and Delicious Cowboy Beans

Servings: servings

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Equipment

4-quart oven safe pot like a Dutch Oven

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 medium yellow onion diced (approximately 1 cup)
1 green bell pepper diced (approximately 1 cup)
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
¼ cup brown sugar this is optional – you could omit
2 cans 28 ounces each baked beans, we used Bush’s Original Baked Beans
½ cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons dijon mustard

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a 4 quart, heavy bottom, oven-safe pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium heat, add ground beef, onion, bell pepper, garlic salt, and onion powder. Cook until the hamburger is no longer pink. Drain the excess liquid.
Add cooked bacon crumbles, brown sugar, baked beans, barbecue sauce, and dijon mustard. Stir to incorporate all ingredients.
Cover and bake for 1 hour. (When done, the beans should be hot and bubbly and thickened.) Serve warm.