Best In The West BBQ Bean Bake

This is one of those recipes.....that has been in our family FOR YEARS! I am not even sure where it originally came from.......my Granny, my mom's sister, Aunt Mary, and my mom all made it in my childhood. It brings back memories of all three of them, as well as hunting days. Hunting days were days when the guys would go out on my other Grandma's land.......and well....HUNT. LOL The ladies would gather and make chili, and other hot soups including this one, sandwiches and desserts, and lots of coffee to warm those who were chilled to the born while waiting for that white tailed deer to cross their path. The ladies made all kinds of things for lunch, then cleaned up and visited, crocheted, let the kids play, etc. until supper time, when we did it all over again, cleaned up and went home. I loved hunting days when the family and those close friends to the family gathered for those meals. Grandma is gone now....the house was in bad shape and was torn down since then, too, so this doesn't happen anymore. But I still have the memories.


If you asked me to describe this dish, I would have to say it is a cross between chili and BBQ baked beans. It's more sweet than it is spicy, but if you like crank up the spice level with some smoky cumin and spicy chili powder. I like it just as is....with a nice thick slice of hot cornbread. Mmmmmm.....doesn't get any better than this on a cold winter's day!!!


Best In The West BBQ Bean Bake

(serves 4)

1 pound hamburger
1 onion, chopped
1 lb bacon, chopped
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
4T prepared mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
4T brown sugar
16 oz can red kidney beans
16 oz can pork and beans
16 oz can butter beans
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Brown hamburger, bacon and onion in a Dutch oven. Drain and return to Dutch oven. Add all the remaining ingredients, cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Serve with hot cornbread!!! YUM!