Cowboy Beans

5 from 1 vote

Cowboy beans are baked beans you can make a meal out of! With Polish sausage, ground beef, and bacon, along with 4 different types of beans, there's plenty of protein in this easy home-style recipe.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Main Dish, Side Dish, Soups and Stews

Cuisine: American

Servings: main dish servings

Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

½-¾ pound Polish sausage (or kielbasa)
1 pound lean ground beef
6 slices bacon (I prefer thick cut bacon)
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (1 large onion)
¾ cup chopped poblano pepper (1 large pepper)
½ cup chopped red bell pepper (1 small pepper)
1 can (15.5 oz.) pinto beans, undrained
1 can (16 oz.) pork and beans, undrained
1 can (15.5 oz.) great northern beans, undrained
1 can (15.25 oz.) black beans, undrained
⅔ cup ketchup
⅓ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional)

Instructions

Slice Polish sausage (or kielbasa) into ¼ inch coins. In a very large skillet, sauté sausage until it's lightly browned and the edges start to crisp. Remove from pan; set aside.
½-¾ pound Polish sausage
Place bacon in the same skillet and cook until crisp. Remove from skillet and drain on a plate lined with paper towels; set aside. Cut into 1-inch pieces when cooled (if you prefer, the bacon can be cut into 1 inch pieces before you brown it).
6 slices bacon
Brown the ground beef in the same skillet, breaking up large pieces, until no pink remains; set aside.
1 pound lean ground beef
Add onions and peppers to the skillet; sauté for 5 to 6 minutes over medium heat until softened.
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion, ¾ cup chopped poblano pepper, ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
Add the undrained beans, ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, and chili powder to the beans.
1 can (15.5 oz.) pinto beans, undrained, 1 can (16 oz.) pork and beans, undrained, 1 can (15.5 oz.) great northern beans, undrained, 1 can (15.25 oz.) black beans, undrained, ⅔ cup ketchup, ⅓ cup packed brown sugar, 3 tablespoons molasses, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon chili powder
Add the bacon pieces and the browned sausage to the skillet. Stir very well to combine. Simmer over low heat until beans are heated through and you're ready to serve them.

Notes

Oven baked: Prepare beans as directed. Place beans in a Dutch oven or casserole dish and bake at 350℉ degrees for 50 to 55 minutes until the top is browned and bubbling.
Crockpot: Prepare beans as directed. Transfer beans to a crockpot; cover and keep warm for 2 to 4 hours on Low or Warm setting. I recommend stirring the beans periodically.
Make ahead: Prepare recipe as directed; cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days in advance. Place in Dutch oven to reheat either on the stove or in the oven, Increasing the baking time by 15 minutes.
Bean suggestions: If you're watching your salt intake, use reduced sodium canned beans which have less than half the sodium of regular beans. Other types of beans can be substituted, like navy beans, canellini beans, or kidney beans.

Nutrition

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