mom’s baked bean casserole
Ladies and gents, I present to you the Thanksgiving side dish of. your. DREAMZ.
I feel quite blasphemous suggesting that you break with your traditions and add this casserole to your Thanksgiving menu when my family, in fact, has been serving the exact same foods (including this casserole) for years upon years upon years. We never stray, ever, right down to the cranberry sauce in the shape of a can. We are a stubborn holiday dinner folk.
But if ever there was a time to shake things up, or if you’re just getting your own Thanksgiving traditions started, I implore you to give this five-ingredient casserole a try. It’s amazing — to the point where I literally don’t even remember a holiday when my mom hasn’t made at least a double batch of it and it’s gone before the weekend. That’s 27 years of baked bean casserole eating/loving, you guys. I rest my case.
Of course, I know what you might be thinking: MEAT. So much meat. And that’s the reason I hesitated a hot second to post this recipe — because you know by now that the hubs and I are kinda picky when it comes to eating meat and such. But here’s what I discovered when I made it for the first time on my own: It’s just as delicious with grass-fed ground beef and humanely raised bacon. So there’s a little nugget o’ information for ya. Now we can all rest easy, go forth and eat all the casserole.
But before I let you go, let’s talk about what’s going on here: A super-easy, super-simple, super-yummy-in-my-tummy Thanksgiving side dish, that’s what. You mix cooked ground beef, crumbled crispy bacon, Northern beans, brown sugar and barbecue sauce. You put it in a casserole dish. You bake it. You eat it. You eat the leftovers cold with crackers the next day. The end.
You’re going to love the heartiness of it. You’re going to love the crispy, salty bacon paired with the sweetness of the brown sugar and barbecue sauce that caramelize in the oven. You’re going to love mixing it with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce in one bite because that’s how we do. And by “we” I mean I. But you should, too.
And because my 27 years of experience eating this dish — as well as the other dishes we so fiercely stand by for our Thanksgivings — obviously proves their deliciousness, I’m going to share another one of our favorite recipes later this week. So get excited! This is just the start of all the yummy yum Turkey Day yums.
Oh, P.S. This + those pumpkin brioche rolls from last week = best ever Thanksgiving leftover sloppy joe. You best believe that’s happening.

Mom’s Baked Bean Casserole
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef, crumbled, cooked and drained
- 1 lb bacon, cooked until crisp, drained and finely chopped
- 2 (15 oz) cans Northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 (18 oz) container barbecue sauce (like Sweet Baby Ray’s — the tangier, the better)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together cooked ground beef and chopped bacon to combine.
- Add beans, brown sugar and barbecue sauce. Stir until just combined.
- Pour mixture into a casserole dish. Cover and bake 45 minutes until bubbly and warmed through. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
I bet the leftovers will be delicious! I’m thinking casserole on a piece of toast and topped with an egg. Now that’s what I’m talking about! 🙂
Stephanie, this five-ingredient casserole looks so good and comforting. . and yes to grass-fed ground beef and humanely raised bacon. And, well, the fact that you have been eating this for 27 years says it all!! Thanks for sharing!
Mom knows what’s up! This looks amazing!
This casserole looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
Some of my family love a baked bean and beef casserole that I make. I use it for the main dish. Mine doesn’t have bacon and I use pork and beans but through out that pork floating on top. Couldn’t stand that in my mouth. Ha!!!
WHOA!! This casserole! Your mom is one awesome cook because this looks incredible!
The ONLY meat dish I truly like is sloppy joes and this is like sloppy joes on steroids. YUM. Then when you said with the pumpkin rolls?!?! Omg, girl.
Proteinpalousa…
My boyfriend would LOVE this. I’m imagining it on top of a baked potato. YUM!
Love love love….This Bean casserole is all you need! My Grandma made this and my 86 year old Mom, who lives in southeastern MN, makes it often to rave reviews. I live in Florida now and want to thank you for reminding me of this yummy gem of a casserole. Stay warm and Keep posting, love your blog!
This sounds like a total flavour bomb – love it!
Wow, I never ever thought I could get so excited about baked beans, but here I am, captivated by this lovely casserole!! It definitely looks worth a try.
Bring on the meat, momma! Now that I’m an aaah-dult, I’m all about starting my own holiday traditions, and I can totes see this casserole being one of them! Can I add all the cheeses to the top? Heck, can this casserole BE my Thanksgiving feast?!
This casserole looks unbelievable!!
I want to make this just for the leftovers! That sandwich sounds incredible!