This is a hearty side dish that is made from minced beef with bacon, peppers, onion, baked beans, brown sugar, and barbecue sauce. Try this simple recipe to make yet another sweet and savory side dish with baked beans.
What Are Cowboy Beans?
It’s most likely that the name originates from the time when pioneers had to travel the long trails and wanted to eat something quick, easy, and filling. Beans were an ideal choice for taking on long journeys, as they can be prepared with just water, and they last a very long time. Adding minced beef makes it even more substantial and filling, too.
The Ingredients
Minced beef is the best thing to use for this recipe, but alternatives such as minced turkey could also be used.
The bacon needs to be cooked and crumbled before it is added to the pot. The easiest way to do this is to bake the bacon beforehand on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil. Bake for 18-20 minutes at a temperature of 415°F.
Almost any vegetables can be added, but onions and bell peppers work particularly well for this dish.
Season the mixture with a little garlic salt and onion powder.
Any brand of baked beans can be used. Two 28-ounce cans are needed.
As for the baked beans, any type of barbecue sauce can be used. Alternatively, try this homemade barbecue sauce.
Dijon mustard works well in this recipe, but any type of yellow mustard will work, too.
Recipe For Making Cowboy Beans
Whether you call this a side dish or a light meal, there is certainly much more to this than just a bowl of baked beans. And it even has a sweet and savory flavor.
You will need a heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pot with a lid, maybe something like a Dutch oven. A 4-quart size is good. Make sure also that the pot you use is oven safe.
- Put the minced beef, bell peppers, onions, garlic salt, and onion powder into the pot and cook over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink.
- Drain any excess liquid.
- Stir in the bacon crumbles, baked beans, brown sugar, mustard, and barbecue sauce until they are thoroughly mixed.
- Put the lid on the pot, put the pot into the oven, and leave to cook for approximately an hour.
- The cowboy beans are ready when they are hot, thick, and bubbly.
- Serve the beans warm.
There is no problem with freezing any leftover cowboy beans. Make sure that the beans are completely cool and transfer them into a freezer-safe container. Remember to add a label and write the date on the container. The frozen beans will last 6 months.
This is a hearty side dish that is made from minced beef with bacon, peppers, onion, baked beans, brown sugar, and barbecue sauce.
- Which Course: Side Dish
- Type of Cuisine: American
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes
- Cooking Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Servings: 12
- Calories: 241 kcal
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of minced beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
- ½ teaspoon of garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon of onion powder
- 8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ¼ cup of brown sugar (optional)
- 2 x 28-ounce cans of baked beans (any brand)
- ½ cup of barbecue sauce (any brand or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Put the minced beef, bell peppers, onions, garlic salt, and onion powder into a heavy-bottomed, ovenproof pot (4 quarts) and cook over medium heat until the meat is not pink.
- Drain any excess liquid.
- Stir in the bacon crumbles, baked beans, brown sugar, mustard, and barbecue sauce until they are all thoroughly mixed.
- Put the lid on the pot, put the pot into the oven, and leave to cook for approximately an hour.
- The cowboy beans are ready when they are hot, thick, and bubbly.
- Serve the beans warm.