These Best Ever Meaty BBQ Baked Beans will be the hit of your backyard party or cookout this summer. Bring these to your next potluck - they are always a crowd favorite.
3cansbaked beans(28 ounces each) baked beans, such as Green Giant brand [See Note 1]
3/4cupspicy barbecue sauce, such as Newman's Own
1/4cupbrown sugar
1/4cupcider vinegar
2teaspoonsdry mustard[See note 2]
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large skillet or cast iron pan, fry bacon in large, deep sauté pan skillet until bacon has cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels.
Add the ground beef, onions, and peppers to the bacon drippings and sauté until cooked through and tender, about 5 minutes.
Add beans, bacon crumbles, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, ground mustard, and vinegar. Stir completely and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper.
If using a cast iron pan, place the pan directly in the oven and bake until beans are bubbly and the sauce has thickened, about 2 hours. Otherwise, transfer beans to a large baking pan (13 x9-inch) and bake until the beans are hot and bubbly and the sauce has thickened. [See Note 3]
Refrigerate leftovers covered for up to 5 days.
Notes
For feeding a crowd, figure that one large (28 ounce) can feeds about 6 people. This recipe is easily doubled or halved.
If you do not have ground dry mustard, substitute 2 tsp prepared yellow, spicy, or dijon mustard. If you prefer not to add mustard, you may omit it all together.
These beans can also be made ahead and kept warm in the crock pot.