Old-fashioned one-pot bean dinner

This is a sleeper hit in my house. I double or triple this recipe and freeze the leftovers (if there are any). It is so simple; hardly any cooking is involved, and the slow-cooker takes care of it while you work. If you can open cans and saute ground beef, you can make this meal. If you don’t like the beans I use, choose different ones. You can use butter beans (formerly known as lima beans) or kidney beans. And, if you don’t want to use beef, use ground turkey. I take this to work in a thermos or bring this with me in the car when I pick up kids from practice. It’s like a warm hug in a bowl.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1/2 lb bacon, cut into two-inch pieces

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

2- 31 oz cans of pork & beans (I use the vegetarian Bush’s)

1- 16 oz pinto beans, rinsed & drained

1- 16 oz cannelini beans, rinsed & drained

1 1/2 C ketchup

1/3 C firmly packed brown sugar

4 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Method

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Drain any fat and transfer to your slow cooker.

To the same pan, add the bacon and onion. Do not let the bacon crisp; it should be limp (about 6-8 minutes). You want the bacon to be slightly undercooked. Drain any fat and transfer to your slow cooker.

Add remaining ingredients to the slow cooker and stir well to combine.

Cook on low for 6-9 hours.

When serving, people may want more brown sugar or vinegar, so I always have that available.