Cowboy Beans and Beef Casserole

Cowboy Beans and Beef Casserole. Add beans and beef to a casserole dish and get yourself a meal so good that your husband will be begging to have more! Hearty enough for a cowboy..

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 small onion, diced

• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into dices (optional)

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder)

• 1 (28 oz) can pork and beans, drained.

• 15 ozs can kidney beans, drained and rinsed.

• 1 (15 oz) Drained and rinsed pinto beans.

• 1/2 cup ketchup

• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce

• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

• 1 tbsp yellow mustard

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp chili powder (omitted or may be added to taste, to add a slight heat)

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional, to add smoky taste to it)

• Salt and black pepper, to taste.

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (not compulsory, to garnish)

• 1- 2 tsp vegetable oil or bacon drippings (to brown, although not necessary)

Cowboy Beans and Beef Casserole: Directions

1. Warm up your oven to 350 deg F (175 deg C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or other casserole dish lightly and put aside.

2. Heat the oil or the drippings of bacon in a large skillet on medium heat in case your beef is very lean. Add ground beef, chopped onion and green pepper (where used). Cook, stirring the meats with a spoon, till the beef is browned and the vegetables are tender, which requires about 7-10 minutes.

3. Empty the unnecessary grease in the skillet. Add the minced garlic (or garlic powder) and cook it an additional 30-60 seconds, only till fragrant.

4. Put the pork and beans (with their sauce), kidney beans and pinto beans in the skillet. Add stir until it is mixed thoroughly.

5. Add the ketchup, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder and smoked paprika. Add salt and black pepper to the mixture when necessary and taste but remember that flavors will intensify as the dish bakes.

6. Add the bean and beef mixture to the dish prepared and evenly spread it using a spoon or spatula.

7. Loosely cover the dish with foil and place in a pre-heated oven to cook it 25-30 minutes until the casserole is bubbling on the edges.

8. Remove the foil. In case of cheese, sprinkle the grated cheese all over the top. Put the casserole in the oven again, uncovered and bake it another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese melts and the top is slightly browned.

9. Allow about 5-10 minutes of resting time of casserole. This aids it in becoming slightly thicker and is easier to scoop into huge and substantial portions.

Variations & Tips

And in case you were brought up with a particular type of beans, then have no hesitation to lean into it. You may replace with black beans, or even navy beans, whatever you have in the pantry; here you only need to maintain the overall quantity of beans approximately the same. To make a smokier, more old time ranch taste, stir in a handful of chopped cooked bacon or several slices of diced smoked sausage with the ground beef. In case your crew wants a kick, then add pinch of red pepper flakes, chopped jalapen or a spicier barbecue sauce. Before baking, add 1-2 cups of cooked rice or small pasta in order to make the casserole even longer. In case you want it a little leaner, ground turkey or a combination of beef and turkey would be good- the sauce and beans will keep everything wet. It is also a good meal made in a slow cooker: brown the meat and vegetables, add everything in the crock and put it on LOW and cook it 4-6 hours, till the end add the cheese. Reheating Leftovers freeze Best reheated in the oven or even in a covered dish and microwaved in the oven. Can even be served over baked potatoes as a second-day supper or scooped into a tortilla.

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