Crock Pot Calico Beans – An Old Fashioned Cowboy Beans Recipe

These Crock Pot Calico Beans are easy to make and full of flavor. With bacon, ground beef and four kinds of beans, it is a hearty side dish.

Crock Pot Calico Bean Recipe

Crock Pot Calico Beans are a staple in our family. The recipe Barbara always uses comes from a local cookbook from the Shelby County (Indiana) Extension Homemakers Council in 1980.

These are always a hit at pitch-ins or potluck meals and are a great alternative to regular baked beans. Barbara often has requests for her Slow Cooker Calico Beans when she is called to bring a dish to a meal or party. Fixing them in the slow cooker also means you can put it all together in the morning and they are ready by lunch!

Calico Baked Beans in the Crock Pot go great served along side a Beef Brisket, Old Fashioned Pea Salad and Cheesy Cabbage Casserole.

Notes About Calico Baked Bean Crock Pot Recipe:

• Be sure to drain off any excess grease while browning the ground beef and bacon.
• You could swap in and out your favorite beans or whatever you have on hand for this crock pot calico baked bean recipe.
• For Grandma’s calico bean recipe, drain the juices off the beans except for the pork and beans.
• Looking for some more ground beef recipes? Try Mom’s Hamburger Gravy and our Hamburger Vegetable Soup with V8 juice.

Honestly, I think they can be the main dish of a meal with the ground beef AND bacon along with FOUR different kinds of beans! Be sure to drain the beans (except for the Pork and Beans) before adding them to the dish!

Barbara suggests using smoked, sliced jowl (hers always comes from Rihm Foods) instead of regular bacon for an extra layer of flavor – but regular bacon works just fine!

How to Make Grandma’s Calico Beans Recipe:

Instructions:

1. In a skillet, brown bacon, ground beef and onions. Drain excess fat if needed.
2. Add all remaining ingredients to the meat mixture; pour into the crock pot insert.
3. Cook on low for 4 hours or until hot.

For the full recipe for slow cooker calico beans, scroll to the bottom of this post. 

Ingredients in Old Fashioned Cowboy Beans Recipe:

Bacon

Ground Beef

Onion

Brown Sugar

Ketchup

Vinegar

Mustard

Salt

Pork and Beans

Butter Beans

Kidney Beans

Lima Beans

What do you serve with calico beans?

The perfect menu includes grilled meat such as beef or pork steak, macaroni and cheese, roasted vegetables and a sweet treat like gooey bars. Find the recipes below!

Grilled Pork Steak

Buttermilk Mac and Cheese

Spicy Roasted Zucchini

Yellow Cake Mix Gooey Bars

Print Recipe

Crock Pot Calico Baked Beans

These Crock Pot Calico Beans are easy to make and full of flavor. With bacon, ground beef and four kinds of beans, it is a hearty side dish.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time4 hrs

Total Time4 hrs 15 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: calico beans with bacon, crock pot calico baked beans, crock pot calico beans, grandma's calico beans recipe, slow cooker calico beans

Servings: 12

Author: Barbara

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. bacon or jowl cut into chunks
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 16 oz. can pork and beans
• 1 15 oz. can butter beans, drained
• 1 16 oz can kidney beans, drained
• 1 15 oz. can lima beans, drained

Instructions

• Brown bacon, ground beef and onions in a pan; remove excess fat if desired.
• Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.
• Pour into a crock pot insert; cook on low for 4 hours or until warm.

Notes

• Be sure to drain off any excess grease while browning the ground beef and bacon.
• You could swap in and out your favorite beans or whatever you have on hand for this crock pot calico baked bean recipe. 
• Drain the juices off the beans except for the pork and beans. 
• Looking for some more ground beef recipes? Try Mom's Hamburger Gravy and our Hamburger Vegetable Soup with V8 juice. 

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