Cheap & Easy Baked Beans with Ground Beef

For those nights you want a quick and easy meal, this recipe for baked beans with ground beef will help you to enjoy the company of your family and friends.

Baked Beans with Ground Beef is a Southern Baked Bean Casserole using pork and beans, kidney beans and hamburger in an classic baked bean sauce. With just a few simple ingredients, you can have a hearty side dish or even an entrée ready to feed the family.

Baked Beans with Ground Beef Recipe

What’s better than classic baked beans? Add some ground beef, and you’ll soon realize what this classic pitch-in side dish has been missing along side the potato salad.

Easy Baked Beans recipes takes that classic, saucy baked bean casserole that you know and love to the next level.

I made these for Mother’s Day. I served them up with Pulled Pork, fresh fruit and some potato chips. It was perfect. I highly recommend this meal for your next holiday, potluck or even just a plain old Sunday.

Savory Baked Bean Casserole

Just to clarify, this savory baked bean casserole could be a meal all on its own. With beans and ground beef, I consider it as the perfect weeknight meal. Serve it up in a bowl with a hunk of cornbread and a side salad or fruit, and dinner is served. I’m happy I found this hamburger baked beans recipe in an old cook book from the employees of Eastern Airlines, circa 1979.

Ground Beef Baked Beans Ingredient List

• Ground Beef (hamburger)
• Dry Onion Soup Mix
• Pork and Beans
• Kidney Beans, drained
• Catsup (ketchup)
• Water, cold
• Yellow Mustard
• Apple Cider Vinegar

How to Make Baked Beans with Hamburger?

Step By Step Instructions

1. Grease a 2 1/2 quart baking dish.
2. Brown hamburger in a large skillet; add dry onion soup mix while browning. Drain excess grease if needed.
3. To the beef mixture, add pork and beans, drained kidney beans, ketchup, cold water, mustard and apple cider vinegar; stir until combined.
4. Pour into prepared casserole dish.
5. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven until hot and bubbly.

Storage Instructions

Let leftovers cool. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Warm up in a microwave.

For the full recipe for Baked Beans with Hamburger, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

Recipe FAQs

• If your ground beef is really lean, add in 2 tablespoons of butter to fry up the hamburger.
• Do not drain the pork and beans; keep that sauce!
• Drain the kidney beans.
• Sub in plain white vinegar for apple cider vinegar, if needed.
• No yellow mustard at home? Use whatever type of mustard you do have. It will be just fine!
• Try switching out kidney beans for any other type of bean that you love. Some good options would be Great Northern Beans, Lima Beans, or Cannellini Beans.
• If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.
• Looking for regular baked beans? Check out Farmwife Cooks’ baked beans recipe.
• Check out our Amazon Store for some of our pantry essential ingredients and favorite kitchen items.

Recipe Variations

• Use ground turkey instead of hamburger.
• Sauté bell peppers with the ground beef.
• Chopped bacon makes everything better.
• Add in a can of lima beans or kidney beans to make a cowboy beans dish.
• Bottled barbecue sauce can be subbed for ketchup.
• Sub in your favorite mustard such as spicy brown mustard for yellow mustard.
• Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce or liquid smoke.

What meat goes with baked beans?

Baked Beans classically go with anything barbecued, but it’s time to think outside the box. Here’s our top ten meat recipes that go perfectly with baked beans.

• Oven Pulled Pork
• Old Fashioned Ham Salad Recipe
• Grilled Pork Shoulder Steak
• Chicken Fried Steak
• 3 Ingredient Grilled Steak Marinade
• Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham Steak
• 3 Ingredient Chicken Salad
• Crock Pot Mock Fried Chicken
• Old Fashioned Bologna Salad
• Classic Beef Brisket

Old Fashioned Bean Recipes

Slow Cooker Calico Beans

Red Bean Salad

Southern Pintos and Sausage

Crock Pot Baked Beans

Hamburger Pork and Bean Skillet

What can I add to my baked beans?

• Worcestershire sauce
• Liquid smoke
• BBQ sauce
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Vinegar
• Brown Sugar
• Maple Syrup
• Honey
• Bacon
• Ham
• Onions
• Garlic
• Onion powder
• Garlic Powder

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