Ben's favorite Calico Beans

 Best recipe for classic calico beans.  This is one of Ben's favorite recipes.  The key is the peppered bacon - must use for best sweet/spicy flavor.  Also, you can swap the great northern beans for kidney beans, but don't swap the butter beans.  They're essential.

Ben's Favorite Calico Beans

1 lb ground beef

3/4 lb peppered bacon (I use Nueske's), diced

1 large onion, diced

1 28 oz can Bush's Country Style baked beans 

1 15.5 oz can great northern beans

1 15.5 oz can butter beans

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tsp dry mustard

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 and grease casserole pan.

In large skillet or soup pot, brown together the ground beef, bacon, and onion until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is tender.  Drain off fat. Drain and rinse great northern and butter beans. Add beans and all remaining ingredients to meat and mix thoroughly.  Transfer into casserole pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

I usually serve this with cornbread and a green salad.