Super easy and full of flavor these Calico Beans are the perfect side dish addition to your grilling menu, get together or picnic this season!
I have a confession, I’m completely and utterly addicted to these Calico Beans. I’ve been eating these since I was knee high and they have always been one of my go to “staple” recipes for our spring and summer dining.
We grill out A LOT! Like we are talking about having friends over almost every weekend. We love to entertain and this recipe is one of the ones that keeps our friends coming back. Well that and our amazing company as well.
If you like your regular baked beans, just think of those on steroids. I will take this Calico Bean recipe over those baked ones any day. This recipe combines 4 different types of beans. Pork n beans, butter beans, kidney beans and lima beans.
Add in ground beef, onion and bacon and you have an epic meal. Yes this can be a meal in itself. We often make it just as a stand alone option for dinner time since it combines so much flavor and food sources in one dish.
Sometimes I have picky kids who don’t like to eat the onions and all the “seasonings” but this Calico Bean recipe is one that they will gladly inhale. I feel lucky in that aspect because they aren’t too too picky and are willing to at least try everything once, even if it does have all the stuff in it that they don’t think that they like.
For the longest time, my now 9 year old would eat everything I made. He would always ask what was in it and I would tell him seasonings and he would gladly dive right in, then all of a sudden it changed. He found out that seasonings usually meant a combination of onions, peppers or tomatoes and started refusing.
I really couldn’t understand that because he had just been eating all those things with no complaint for the longest time! But I mean that’s kids for you, they are odd but lovable creatures. Just like this recipe, super odd combination, but seriously so so so lovable.
So if you’re looking for that perfect grilling side dish, these beans are just what you need. Full of all the goodness and filling they are one side dish that will satisfy everyone!
If you like this recipe you might also like this Italian Pasta Salad, Easy Beer Brats and Mojo Pork Chops.
Calico Beans
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/4 lb bacon chopped
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 28 oz can pork n' beans
- 1 15 oz can butter beans, drained
- 1 15 oz can kidney beans, undrained
- 1 15 oz can lima beans, undrained
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp mustard
- 2 tsp vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In large skillet heat together ground beef, bacon and onion until no longer pick and onions are tender
- Add into a large pot and add remaining ingredients, stir.
- Bake for about 40 minutes.
- Remove and serve.
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Suzi
Great calico beans- just wanted to say how adorable your name is. Tornadough Alli!! Omggg lmao so clever I love it