Do you have any summer barbecues or picnics planned for the remainder of summer? I sure hope you do. Outdoor summer meals are one of the best parts of summer. If you are looking to feed a crowd or just keep them full longer these baked beans are the way to do it. With hamburger, bacon and four different types of beans you can’t go wrong. There is so much packed in there, these could really stand on their own. I’m not ashamed to admit it, but we ate these Hearty Baked Beans and barbecue chips for dinner one night. 😉

Hearty Baked Beans

Ingredients:

1 pound bacon

1 pound ground beef

2 large onions, chopped

1 large bell pepper

4 cans (15 ounces each) pork and beans

1 bottle (18 ounces) honey barbecue sauce

2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can lima beans, rinsed and drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven (at least 5 quarts) cook bacon. Remove and set aside. Drain the majority of bacon grease from dutch oven and add onions, bell pepper and ground hamburger to the pan. Cook hamburger until no longer pink. Drain excess grease from pan. Stir in the remaining ingredients, including cooked and crumbled bacon. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until heated through.

*Recipe adapted from Taste of Home Magazine June/July 2003.