Savory Earthy Baked Beans: A Delicious Homemade Delight

Ingredients

• 1. A pound of thick-sliced bacon
• 2. A pound of ground beef
• 3. A large onion, finely chopped
• 4. Approximately one and a third cups of brown sugar
• 5. Half a cup of barbecue sauce, like the delicious Sweet Baby Ray's® Honey blend
• 6. Half a cup of ketchup
• 7. Two tablespoons of prepared mustard
• 8. One tablespoon of molasses
• 9. A teaspoon of liquid smoke essence
• 10. A teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• 11. A teaspoon of chili powder
• 12. A can of baked beans (around 28 ounces), such as the Bush's Original® variety
• 13. Two cans of kidney beans (16 ounces each), thoroughly rinsed
• 14. Two cans of Great Northern beans (16 ounces each), rinsed well
• 15. Two cans of pinto beans (16 ounces each), rinsed thoroughly

Step 1

In a spacious skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until beautifully browned, turning occasionally for about 10 minutes. Let the crispy bacon slices rest on paper towels to absorb excess oil, reserving around 2 tablespoons of flavorful bacon drippings in the skillet. Crumble the bacon and lovingly place it in the waiting slow cooker.

Step 2

Using the same skillet, cook and stir ground beef and onion in the fragrant bacon drippings over medium heat. Let them dance together until the beef turns a rich brown and crumbles beautifully, which should take around 5 to 10 minutes. Once ready, transfer this hearty mixture to the patient slow cooker.

Step 3

Prepare a delightful concoction by mixing brown sugar, barbeque sauce, ketchup, mustard, molasses, liquid smoke flavoring, black pepper, and chili powder in a bowl. Pour this flavor-packed elixir over the ground beef and bacon blend, ensuring it's evenly coated. Then, add baked beans, kidney beans, Great Northern beans, and pinto beans to the mix, gently stirring everything together.

Step 4

Allow this symphony of flavors to meld by cooking on Low for 6 hours, or for an even richer taste, refrigerate overnight for 8 hours. When ready to indulge, reheat the dish in the slow cooker until it's beautifully warmed through, taking at least an hour to reach perfection.