Recipes 5 min read
Calico Beans Casserole with Beef and Bacon
Calico Beans — a beef, bacon, and bean casserole — is pure comfort food and surprisingly simple to make.
There’s a distinct change in the air as school starts again and the crisp autumn winds replace summer’s lazy breezes. For me, that shift signals a return to cozy meals.
I love sweaters, thick socks, boots, and scarves, but even more than clothing, I love the change in food. Summer is busy with canning and preserving. Fall invites slower, more contemplative cooking: stewpots bubbling on the stove, all-day slow-cooker meals, fresh-baked bread, and simmering soups that warm body and soul.
Autumn is my favorite season — colorful leaves, pumpkins and squash, cool days that beg for bundling up, and excuses to stay inside with a good book. Yes, the schedule can be frantic — running kids to activities, errands, and household chores — but then there are those satisfying moments when everything quiets down and you can breathe. Often those moments include a good meal.
One of my favorite routines is popping this casserole in the oven, heading outside to rake leaves or plant garlic, and coming back to a house filled with the inviting aroma of bubbling barbecue beef, bacon, and beans. It feels like a warm welcome after a productive day: “Good job out there — come in, get comfortable, and grab a bowl.”
I never make this dish in summer; its comforting, warming power is best suited to cool weather. In fall and winter it gets heavy use in our household.
My nine-year-old son loves helping prepare it — breaking up the beef, stirring the bacon, and insisting we save bacon grease for cornbread. It’s his favorite thing to cook because he knows how fast it disappears at the table.
This really is a crowd-pleaser. If you’re feeding big appetites, it’s likely to be a hit. Why do people love Calico Beans? Let me count the reasons:
- It has beef.
- It has bacon.
- It has beans.
- It has barbecue sauce.
- It’s versatile—eat it with a fork, spoon, tortilla chip, Frito, cornbread, toast, or treat it like chili.
- It’s ideal for game-day spreads, post-sports meals, or any time you want hearty, satisfying food.
This recipe makes a lot. Don’t be alarmed by the quantity — that’s part of its appeal. It freezes and reheats beautifully, so it’s perfect to portion into meal-sized containers for quick reheats on busy nights.
If the full amount is intimidating, you can halve the recipe, but be warned: you may run out sooner than you expect.
Calico Beans
Notes and variations:
- If you don’t like butter beans or kidney beans, swap in equal amounts of pinto, black, navy, or cannellini beans. If you prefer, use baked beans instead of pork and beans.
- This dish works well with ground venison, elk, or other red game meats, and it’s delicious with ground turkey too.
- For picky eaters, finely mince the onion so it “disappears” while cooking, or replace the onion with 1½ teaspoons onion powder mixed into the sauce.
- To speed things up, use 3 cups of your favorite bottled barbecue sauce in place of the homemade sauce described below.
- Calico Beans can be baked in the oven or cooked in a slow-cooker for flexibility.
Calico Beans: Beef, Bacon, Bean Casserole
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
For the Sauce (Optional: replace homemade sauce with 3 cups purchased barbecue sauce):
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons cider or white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke optional
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Casserole:
- 1 batch barbecue sauce homemade or purchased
- 2 pounds sliced bacon
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 small onion or 1½ tsp onion powder, peeled and finely chopped
- 6 cups butter beans or 3 cans, drained
- 6 cups kidney beans or 3 cans with liquid
- 4 cups pork and beans or 2 cans with liquid
Instructions
To make the sauce:
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir frequently until it reaches a boil. Boil for one minute, then remove from heat and set aside.
To make the casserole:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Stack the bacon and cut across slices into ½-inch strips. In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate with a slotted spoon. Reserve bacon grease if desired.
- Return the pan to medium-high heat and brown the ground beef, adding the chopped onion if using. Break up the meat as it cooks. Drain excess fat if necessary. In a large bowl, combine the sauce, browned beef, cooked bacon, and beans until evenly mixed.
To bake:
- Divide the mixture between a 9x13x2-inch pan and an 8x8x2-inch pan. Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until very bubbly and hot throughout.
To make in the slow-cooker:
- Spray the slow-cooker insert with nonstick spray. Pour in the mixture, cover, and cook on LOW for 4–6 hours or until bubbly and hot throughout.
- Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator, or portion into airtight containers and freeze for up to 6 months. Reheat with a splash of water in a covered saucepan or in the microwave.
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate nutrition based on the ingredients you use with your preferred calculator.
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