Old Settlers Baked Beans

This is a recipe that my mother used to make. It stretched a pound of ground beef into an entire meal to feed the family. It can be served as a side dish or as the main meal.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
6 slices bacon, cut up
1 onion chopped
1/3 c. brown sugar**
1/4 c. ketchup
1/4 c. barbecue sauce
1 (16 oz.) can pork and beans
1 (16 oz.) can red kidney beans
1 (16 oz.) can butter beans or black beans
2 Tbs. molasses
2 Tbs. mustard
1 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oven to 250°.

In a cast iron Dutch oven or skillet, brown ground beef, bacon, and onion together. Drain off excess grease.

Stir in, brown sugar, ketchup, barbecue sauce, pork and beans, red kidney beans, molasses, mustard, and chili powder.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Cover and bake for 1 hour.

Notes

If you like your baked beans sweeter, add more brown sugar or even granulated sugar will work. 

You can use a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish instead. 

If you have left over ground beef, cooked sausages, hot dogs or chicken, use that in place of the ground beef. Use what you have on hand, so the meat does not go to waste.