The Delicious Goodness of Comfort Food

Calico beans are a quintessential comfort food. Marilyn pre-cooks the meats and freezes them together until time to make the Calico Bean dish. This is such a delicious choice for dinner around the campfire, or a warm and filling lunch or dinner on a cold day while hiding inside the RV away from the weather.

These Calico Beans make a side dish or main dish worthy of any cowboy's appetite.

I can smell these rich flavors cooking away as I write this. And now I’m hungry…

Hearty Ingredients and Saucy Sauce

A mix of kidney beans, pinto beans, and pork & beans forms the base of this hearty dish. The beans provide a hefty dose of fiber, protein, and essential nutrients. The smoky richness of bacon combined with the onion and ground beef adds complexity.

A key component of Marilyn’s Calico Beans is the sauce, which ties all the ingredients together. According to Tony, every dish needs sauce. This is certainly not an exception to the rule. Made with a blend of ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and salt, the simple sauce delivers a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors. The sauce coats each bean and morsel of meat, infusing every bite with irresistible goodness.

Despite their rich flavor and hearty appeal, Marilyn’s Calico Beans are surprisingly easy to make. Especially if you cook the meat ahead of time, and don’t have to worry about the greasy mess that bacon can cause inside an RV!

With just a few simple ingredients and minimal preparation, anyone can whip up a batch of this delicious dish. Whether simmered on the stovetop, slow-cooked in a Dutch oven or slow-cooker, or baked in the RV oven, Calico Beans can be a hassle-free delight for a hot dinner or a side dish or main dish at a potluck.

Marilyn’s Cast Iron Calico Beans Recipe

Ingredients:

1 Pound Bacon

1 Pound Ground Beef

1/2 Cup Onion, chopped

1/2 Cup Ketchup

1 tsp Salt

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp Yellow Mustard

1 Can Pork and Beans

1 Can Butter Beans with liquid

1 Can Kidney Beans with liquid

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Fry bacon* in a large cast iron skillet; set aside

3. Brown hamburger and onions in the skillet*

4. Chop up fried bacon and add to skillet

5. DO NOT drain the canned beans!

6. Mix in the rest of the ingredients

7. Bake 1 1⁄2 hour at 350°

Marilyn’s Tips:

• *Pre-cook the meats and freeze them in a freezer-safe container before heading out on your camping trip. Then just thaw and reheat, and add the rest.

• A well-seasoned cast iron skillet goes easily from stovetop to oven.

• You want the liquid from the canned beans; do not drain them!

• This would also be a good recipe for a cast iron dutch oven over coals.