I don’t make my Calico Beans with molasses because it makes them a little too sweet for my taste. Other than liquid smoke, the seasoning for these Calico Beans consists of ingredients you’re likely to find in a good baked bean recipe: ketchup and brown sugar for sweetness, and mustard and vinegar to offset the sugar. Believe it or not, it’s actually real smoke particles, trapped in a condenser then concentrated into a dark liquid that serves as a wonderful addition to savory meat dishes and cheese sauces you want to add a hint of smokiness too, including my grandmother’s Calico Beans (this is also one of the ingredients that make my recipe stand out from others like the calico beans Taste of Home makes). Some people are hesitant to cook with this mysterious ingredient, imagining some preservative-laden, artificially flavored liquid concocted in a lab. I really play up the subtly sweet smokiness in this Calico Beans recipe by using both pork and beans and bacon, as well as a little liquid smoke. Pork and beans are just navy beans, but they’re canned with tomato sauce and either small chunks of salted pork or pork fat for extra smoky flavor. Unlike most recipes that only have three varieties, my recipe uses four different kinds of beans, each with a different color and slightly different texture: soft white butter beans and pale green limas that are both sweet and creamy, as well as deep red kidney beans and tan pork and beans that share a dense and smooth texture. Next, you’ll brown some ground beef and onions to add to your casserole dish with the beans. Make sure you keep the rendered bacon grease in the fridge (you can also strain it and freeze it in ice cube trays), so you’ll have this tasty seasoning on hand for other dishes like this one. Some spots are crispy, for sure, but others are burned or still a little undercooked.īy frying the bacon first, you end up with crunchy, salty, smoky bits throughout the beans. In my experience, those strips usually don’t cook well, though, even after spending close to an hour in the oven. The quick Southern-style baked beans (not calico beans) Pioneer Woman bakes uses this method, and so does Paula Deen’s version.
The first step is browning bacon, a little departure from traditional baked beans with whole strips of bacon on top that are supposed to crisp in the oven. This Calico Beans recipe is loaded with onions, beef and bacon, and a thick flavorful sauce that will warm you up just like that cozy quilt! But forget the memories you have of mediocre, monochromatic beans with little afterthoughts of pork chunks or green peppers floating in thin, overly sweet sauce. It’s definitely more visually appealing than a traditional pot of baked beans and has a substantial meaty component to make it a perfect, one-dish meal.īaked beans are an inexpensive and versatile side dish you’ll find on the menu of your favorite barbecue restaurant or on the table at your next backyard cookout. The dish gets its name from the variety of colorful beans used in it, mottled a bit from marrying in the oven, with a perfectly dialed in a sweet and savory sauce. A little cornbread on the side, and we’d all go to bed in a happy, food-induced coma. This is my grandma’s Calico Beans recipe, one she used to make when she needed a hearty, easy supper that’s straight up good, old-fashioned comfort food. If you’ve ever seen a calico cat or wrapped up in a calico quilt, you know exactly what’s coming when I say “Calico Beans.”
Pin it to your CASSEROLE BOARD to save for later!īe Sure To Follow Gonna Want Seconds on Pinterest for more great recipes! Your oven takes care of cooking a hearty, flavor-packed meal while you tackle that neglected pile of laundry (or dive into your DVR queue). This Calico Beans recipe is perfect for juggling all your other to-dos.
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