Old Settlers’ Baked Beans

How can you have a cookout without baked beans? Aren’t they as “American” as “Mom, apple pie and baseball”?

Baked bean recipes with fanciful names abound — Cowboy Beans, Bonanza Beans, Western, Chuck Wagon and Calico Beans, to name a few. I love all those names because they add the rugged imagery of an earlier time to the “grub” even though I know that individuals in the Old West did not have access to all the convenient ingredients and appliances that we use in these so-named recipes today.

I’ve experimented with various combinations for a recipe that I believe is worthy of the title “Old Settlers’ Baked Beans.” I hope you not only like the moniker but the dish itself. CJK

Old Settlers’ Baked Beans

(Carol Jessen-Klixbull)

8 slices bacon

1 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 lb. ham, diced

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (15 oz.) Great Northern beans, drained

1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained

1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, drained
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup catsup

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup vinegar

2 tsp. dry mustard

1 tbsp. chili powder

Spray inner crock lining of slow cooker with no-stick spray.

Cut the bacon slices into 5 or 6 pieces each. Fry them, drain off grease and set aside.

Crumble ground beef in skillet, lightly brown over medium heat and drain off the grease. Stir in ham and half of the cooked bacon (reserving the rest for garnish) and transfer to slow cooker. Add the onion, garlic and beans to the slow cooker.

Mix remaining ingredients together in small bowl. Pour mixture over beans and stir all ingredients together. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Top with remaining cooked bacon before serving.

Yield: 16 to 20 servings

If preparing in the oven:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray large baking dish with no-stick spray. Assemble ingredients as described in slow cooker version. Bake for around 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If beans become too thick before serving, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water. If the mixture is too thin before serving, turn the oven up higher or bake longer.

A note from Carol: This recipe makes a great side dish for holidays or special occasions and with nearly two pounds of meat in the ingredient list, it is a tasty entrée any time. The chili powder and dry mustard add a pleasant heat and spiciness creating a dish that resembles a milder-tasting chili — without the liquid.

I mentioned in the introduction for this Labor Day cookout collection that the recipes would be fun and easy. Letting a slow cooker do the “baking” at this still-hot time of year keeps the heat out of the kitchen.